The Mirror of Erised
by Winterlude
Summary: A series of one shots on different characters from all eras meeting the Mirror of Erised... the first one is James. Please, R&R! COMPLETE!
1. James Potter

The sixteen-year-old James Potter woke up and looked at his asleep friends.

Sirius was talking in his sleep, Peter was snoring loudly and Remus was sleeping deeply

He coughed loudly.

Sirius groaned.

'Do you want to go to the kitchens?' James proposed.

'Night. Sleeping' Remus muttered incoherently.

'Sirius?'

'Mother, I don't care about what you say. Those Muggle girls are pretty and I like having them on my walls' Sirius screamed in his dreams.

'Okay, I understood. Peter?' he asked hopefully, knowing how much Peter loved eating.

'Wormatail?' he asked again.

But Peter didn't answer.

_Well, I'll gone alone _James thought.

He put on his cloack, took the Map and headed towards the kitchen.

He went out of the Gryffindor Tower and looked at the little dot of Lily Evan, which was in the girls' dorm. James tried to imagine her for a moment, asleep, not shouting at him, when suddendly stumbled over a door he had never seen before.

_What is this? _he wondered, seeing that the room was not marked on the Map.

He went in and was hit by a shining light. In the middle of the room there was a big mirror.

'Mirror of Erised...' James read carefully 'What does the hell mean?'

He went closer. And closer. And closer.

And looked inside.

* * *

_The following morning_

'Remus, I told you, it was so real!' James shouted, spitting his soup around.

'I know it seemed real' Remus said clening his sleeve that James had just stained 'It's the Mirror of Erised. Binns told us about it, don't you remember?'

Three pairs of eyes stared at Remus, like he had just said that he had been secretely dating Snape for the last two years.

'We never pay attention during Binns' classes, Moony' Sirius said slowly, like if he were talking to a three-year-old.

'Well, you should' Remus said 'He told us about it. It's the mirror that shows our inner desire'

'It shows our future!' James roared and everybody looked at him, including a certain red-head.

'Sorry...' he said blushing a bit.

'Say again what you saw, James' Sirius said.

'Okay... first of all there was just... well, you know... _her'_

'Who?' Peter asked.

'Lily, you git' James hissed.

'And then?' Remus asked cooperatively.

'Well, she was alone and...'

'Was she naked?' Sirius asked interested.

'No!' James said in horror 'She wasn't. She was in a kitchen and she was cooking or doing something like that and then...'

'... and then?' the three friends asked.

'And then I saw a child crawling. He was obviously her son, because he had her beautiful eyes...' James looked at Lily, who casted him a disapproving glance.

'Go on' Sirius snorted.

'Well, yes... so, the baby came in, she laughed and she took him. Then she saw someone who was coming and that I could not see. And when she saw this someone her eyes twinkled and she looked so happy and...'

'And?'

'And then the someone came in...'

'And?'

'And I was that someone!' James yelled in triumph 'She kissed me... she kissed me!... and then she handed me our baby... because he was our baby! He had her eyes and my face, my hair...'

'He was your fotocopy' Remus said smiling.

'My what?'

'Nothing. Something they told us during Muggle Studies Class. What happened next?'

'Nothing. We just sat together and we talked and we laughed and we played with the baby and we kissed and...'

'Okay, so your inner desire is to shag Lily' Sirius said in an effective tone.

'Sirius!' Remus and James shouted at the same time.

'Sorry' he said non-chalantly pouring some juice in his glass.

'What Sirius meant, is that your inner desire is to marry Lily and have a child with her' Remus said rising his eye-brow.

'It's not my inner desire! Well, yes, it's even my inner desire, but that's my future! It's all going to happen, I'm sure' James yelled.

'Prongs...' Peter said half smiling in an apologetical tone 'Lily doesn't even address to you using your name'

'I know, but that's my future. I'm one hundred percent positive...'

'James...' Remus said again.

'Listen to me, Moony. That's my dream. That's my incredible amazing dream. In that vision I was happy, as I have never been in my whole life. And I'll do whatever I can to make it come true'

'I hope you will' Remus beamed sadly, thinking of his own dreams and happiness.

'I will' James answered laughing.

* * *

_Today I may no have a thing at all _

_Except for just a dream or two_

_But I've got a lot of plans for tomorrow_

_And all my tomorrows belong to you_

_Cahn/ Van Heusen_

**A/N**

**Hello!! This is my brand new work... ahahah laughs happily as she has been planning this for a while and never had time to actualy do it It's just a series of one shots involving several different characters meeting the Mirror of Erised. I've already planned to write some characters (I've almost finished to write Snape, then I intend to write Sirius, Lily, Remus, Tom Riddle and Wormtail) but I'm totally open to any kind of suggestion. So, I'd be glad to have some feedback... (translated in a more pratical way: please, REVIEW!)**


	2. Severus Snape

The Potions Professor walked through the castle. His quick steps echoed in the darkness, as he headed towards the Headmaster's Office.

_What does the hell want? Why did he call me in the middle of the night? Doesn't that man sleep? _

_You weren't sleeping as well.. _a small voice said inside himself.

Snape shook his head, like trying to forget that thought. It was 30th January. _Her _birthday. Of course he couldn't sleep.

Bittersweet images crossed his mind.

Lily's first birthday at Hogwarts. They spent all the day together, studying in the Library. James Potter and his weird friends were there as well. They were chuckling looking at them and Lily told Severus to ignore them. He was so happy, oh, so happy, that she was his friend. He didn't care about handsome and popular James Potter or about the blood-traitor Sirius Black. Lily was _his _friend. He instinctively smiled at that thought.

But there were other memories connected to that day.

Like when they were in their seventh year and he saw her and... _Potter_... kissing and laughing together at breakfast. That time there she hadn't told him a single world, she hadn't protected him from Black's ironical glances, she hadn't smiled to him. He had been the one to be ignored.

The Professor was so immersed in his thoughts that almost didn't notice a door that had been left half open. Thinking that maybe a student had entered as he had hearm him coming, he completely opened the door.

The room was squared and big, and right in the middle there was a big mirror.

_The Mirror of Erised... _Snape whispered. He had heard that it was kept in Hogwarts, but he had never actually seen it.

_I show your inner desire _he mouthed slowly.

_My inner desire? _he wondered thoughtfully.

And then the face of a certain red head crossed his mind.

_Lily! _he thought.

_Go away, you git. It will be just a vision. Lily is dead. Don't mock yourself _the little voice inside himself said in a tone that strangely reminded him of that Granger girl.

_Shut up _he thought getting closer to the Mirror.

And he saw her.

Beautiful, incredibly beautiful as he reminded her. Her hair streaming, her green eyes looking at him, her beautiful lips curved in a wide beam.

_Lily, Lily, Lily... _he thought, his eyes glistened with tears.

_Lily... _he said again, caressing the cold glass.

Suddendly he noticed that she was not alone, as several people could be seen in the back.

_King's Cross? _he said aloud, recognising the place.

Yes, it was definetely King's Cross, probably on the 1st September. Young pupils chatting and laughing could be seen anywhere.

_Why is she in King's Cross? _Snape wondered.

And then he saw them. Alongside Lily there was a tall man, with untidy hair and a charming smile and a boy, already dressed in his Hogwarts robes, who looked exactly like his father except for his eyes.

_James and Harry Potter? _Snape whispered in horror.

Lily was rubbing her son's hair and smiling concerned, as every witch does when her child leaves for Hogwarts for the first time

As he saw the three people laughing, like nobody could never hurt them, Snape felt his heart shattering into one thousand pieces.

* * *

'I do understand that you're shocked, Severus...'

'I'm not shocked, Headmaster! I'm not shocked!' the Potions Professor yelled suddendly standing up from his chair.

'Okay, you are not shocked then' Dumbledore said.

'It's just that... the Mirror doesn't work!' he said sitting again.

'Why doesn't it work? I mean, you saw Lily Potter. What else were you expecting to see?' the old Head Master asked looking deeply into his interlocutor's eyes.

'I expected to see... I expected to see Lily Evans! Not to see those... those...'

'Her husband and her son?' Dumbledore asked.

'Yes. _Them' _He said putting as much hatred in the last world as he could.

'Well, Severus, I think this can be easily explained...'

Snape looked at Dumbledore.

'The thing is that your love for Lily is much beyond physical, possessive love. Your love is more than that. You love her so much that you just wish she were alive and happy. Even without you'

Snape didn't answer and avoided Dumbledore's glance.

'You love her so much' Dumbledore continued 'that you reckon that James was the only man she has ever loved and you wish she had kept living a happy life with him and their son, no matter how much you would have wanted to be that man, to be the father of her son'

'I have to go now, Headmaster' Snape said suddendly getting up, without looking at the old man.

'Good night, Severus' Dumbledore said, looking at the tall man quickly getting out of the Office.

_Love... _Dumbledore thought, still looking at the chair where one moment before Severus was sit _the strongest force of all._

_And the most painful of all _a small voice inside himself said and his heart could do nothing but agree.

_

* * *

__In my eyes he matches the gods, that man who_

_Sits there facing you – any man whatever-_

_Listening from closeby to the sweetness of your_

_Voice as you talk, the sweetness of your laughter_

_Sappho, V century b.C._

**A/N First off, I wanted to THANK all the reviewers and deeply apologise to the ones I didn't answer. The problem is that my computer for some obscure reason just didn't allow me to do that. Don't ask me why. I hate technology. And by the way, I especially wanted to thank melissa everlasting because she gave me some very good ideas. Anyway, I hope you liked it, that you'll leave reviews and that you'll wait for the new update. **

**PS And, please, remember tbat I'm open to any suggestion! **


	3. Rose Weasley

'Mum…'

'What, Rose? Hermione answered looking at her fifteen-year-old daughter.

She still couldn't believe that in just one year apart from her she had grown up so much. Her red hair were long and curly, her grey eyes were sunny and charming.

_Is that my child? _Ron had asked incredulous when he had seen her getting off the Hogwarts Express.

Yes, she was. And in less than two months she was going to attend her last but one year at Hogwarts. And then the last. And then she would go away. _Jeeze, _Hermione thought.

'Mum!' the girl said again, looking bewildered at her mother.

'Sorry, Rose. What's wrong?'

'Nothing...' Rose said suddendly looking at her shoes 'I just... wondered... haveyoueverseenthemirroroferised?'

'I what?' Hermione asked laughing, thinking how much Rose reminded her of Ron sometimes.

'Yes... sorry... the Mirror of Erised... have you ever seen it?'

'Why are you asking me?' Hermione asked suspiciously.

'Oh... well...I was just... wondering...' Rose said avoiding her mother's glance.

Hermione smiled.

'Oh... well... yes, I've seen the Mirror of Erised' she admitted blushing a bit.

'Really mum? When?' Rose asked interested.

'Well... long time ago. I was your age and I stumbled upon it one afternoon'

'And what did you see?' Rose asked, her eyes widened.

'That is personal' Hermione said.

'Muuuum! Tell me!' Rose pleaded.

'It's none of your bussiness, Rosie' Hermione said, trying to get out of the room.

'C'mon Mum. You've always said that we don't have to have secrets between each other'

'Right...' Hermione sighed, damnng all the years she had spent reading books with titles like _Mum and Daughter: how to build a perfect relationship _and stuff like that.

'Mum?' Rose asked again, seeing that victory was close.

'Alright, alright' Hermione said 'I saw your father and I kissing' she said non-chalantly.

'And did you tell him?' Rose asked slowly

'Oh no' Hermione said laughing 'I actually tried to persuade myself that I had seen something different'

'Why?' Rose asked.

'Well... it's difficult to explain...' Hermione said rubbing her chin 'It's just that... the Mirror shows our inner desires, that sometimes are so inner that are even unknown to us or that we might refuse. I remember that when I looked in the Mirror I was quite angry with your father for something and I just couldn't believe that my inner desire was to kiss him' she laughed.

'But... does what you look in the Mirror come true?' Rose asked hesitantly.

'Oh no. It would be great if it did. But it doesn't' Hermione answered with a wry smile, reminding the time Ron had told her about the encounter between Harry and the Mirror.

'So why did you actually... well... kiss dad?' she asked blushing.

'Because that was my inner desire and when I finally relised it... and when your father finally realised it...' she added with a beam 'I did my best to make it come true. Because that was what I wished the most'

* * *

'_Bloody Hell!' Rose said to herself 'Why on the Earth am I so stupid? Why? Why?'_

_It was three in the morning and she was walking carefully through the Hogwarts corridors, hoping that no one would notice her._

'_And stupid James! Why doesn't he ever lend his damn Map? It will be so difficult to find the Library in this darkness without my wand'_

_She had woken up in the middle of night, suddendly remembering that she had left her wand on the Library table where she had studied the previous afternoon. Dreading that someone might have stolen it, she had decided to immediately go and look for it._

'_Is this the Library?' Rose wondered, touching with her hands a big door._

_She opened it and she couldn't help sighting. It was just a room with a big mirror in the middle._

_She was almost going to leave when a suddent thought hit her: could it be... the Mirror of Erised! She had read so much about it! She headed towards it, wondering what she was going to see. What was her inner desire?_

_Shaking, she looked inside the Mirror and she saw herself... well, actually, a more beautiful version herself. And she was there kissing... Scorpius Malfoy?! She looked at the mirror, bewildered._

_Scorpius Malfoy? Stupid pretentious Slytherin Scorpius Malfoy? Scorpius Malfoy, who tried to beat her all the tests (not that he managed to do that, anyway)? Scorpius Malfoy, with whom she had quarrelled just the night before because he had broken her quill (her favourite quill, the one Granpa Weasley had given her when she had turned fifteen)? Scorpius Malfoy? Was Scorpius Malfoy her inner desire?_

_She looked at him again. For a crazy moment, she thought that she had already seen his light blue eyes, his blonde hair, his pointed chin in her dreams. She remembered that night that she had spent with him discussing about 'Hogwarts: A History' She remembered the previous week, when they had had a long talk about their family, the war, Voldemort. 'You know' Scorpius had said 'when my father saw your parents at King's Cross he said: Scorpius, __never talk to those people'_

'_Really? Thank you' Rose replied offended._

'_No, wait. He said: never talk to those people. Because you spend all your life hating them and thinking that they do the same and then one day they save your life and you can't feel anything but gratitude for them'_

_Rose remembered his sweet expression when he had said that, the small smile curved on his lips, his hand that was almost touching hers. _

_Rose shoock her head, trying to forget all those thought._

_No way. Her inner desire couldn't be to be Malfoy's girlfriend. No way._

_And the Mirror was wrong, she thought heading towards the door._

* * *

Hermione laughed.

'Did you really see that?' she asked.

Rose nodded sadly and Hermione tried to restrain her laughs.

'Well, what's the problem then? You're undoubtely in love with the Malfoy kid. I mean, with Scorpius. There's nothing bad with that' she said.

'Yes, there's a problem! Because sometimes he acts stupid, and he's a Slytherin, a Malfoy, and you all hate his family and his aunt killed Teddy's mum and...'

'Hold on' Hermione said 'I know you've heard terrible things about the Malfoys... because they did terrible things indeed... but this has nothing to do with Scorpius. He's a total different person. He is not his father or his grandfather. Understand?'

Rose nodded.

'And about the stupid thing... every boy acts stupid sometimes. Especially in front of a girl they like' she added, smirking.

Rose blushed a bit.

'I think I have to send an owl' she said.

'Go, go' Hermione said smiling, looking at her daughter heading towards her room.

_Dear Scorpius, _

She wrote with her favourite quill (yes, because he had then fixed it and given it back to her)

_I was wondering... _

_Why don't we meet one of these days?I could come to your place or you could come to mine (if my dad doesn't faint when he sees you). You could even come to my cousin Victoire's wedding in August, if you want. What do you think?_

_Write me soon,_

_Rose_

She smiled, and put the piece of parchment close to her heart before handing it to her owl.

_In love with a Malfoy... _a small voice inside herself said with a disapproval tone.

_It seems to be my inner desire _Rose laughed back.

_

* * *

__It lies not in our power to love and hate_

_For it will in us overruled by fate_

_The reason no man knows, let it suffice,_

_What we behold is censured by our eyes_

_Where both deliberate the love is slight:_

_Who even loved, that loved not at first sight?_

_Christopher Marlowe_

**A/N I don't know why it's like that, but every time I start a story the chapters grow longer and longer. I hope it doesn't bother you (because it does bother me!). Anyway, thanks to all the reviewers for their beautiful comments and suggestions, I hope you liked this chapter and please... REVIEW!!!**

**PS As you might have noticed, I put poems or songs at the end of each chapter. If you have a poem or a song that you think would fit well with a particular character, please, let me know!**


	4. Albus Dumbledore

'I? I see myself holding a pair of woollen socks' 

He smiled at the small hesitant boy and he felt his heart aching and his forehead burning, like if someone had written on it with flames: _liar._

_But could I tell him that I see...? _he wondered biting his lower lip as he looked at Harry Potter slowly getting out of the room.

_Could I tell him that I see... them? _he said turning towards the Mirror.

And there they were, the vision that haunted his days and nights.

'Good evening mother... father... Aberforth... Ariana'.

There they were. His family, happy and smiling, as they had never been after Ariana's accident. They were all close to each other, his parents were holding hands, Aberforth and Albus were chuckling in a michiveous way and Ariana was smiling looking at them.

'We look like a real family, don't we?' he said.

'Not that we didn't have the... potential, you know' he said and he wished he could sit in front of the Mirror just like he had caught Harry doing 'We were a good family. But it has never been the same after... well, you know after what'

He paused and looked at them.

'I'm sorry mother. I know you would have wanted me and Aberforth to stick up together. And I know that while you when you died you made me promise to protect Ariana forever. I know that, mother'

He chocked back his tears.

'I know that... it must have been terrible for you... me duelling with Aberforth... it was terrible, mother and it's the biggest remorse of my whole life. Yes, I do have remorses, differently from Riddle. Not that this makes me a better man than he is, though'

He paused and looked straight into his mother's eyes.

'But the thing is, mother... that a terrible thing happened. I fell in love' he simply said 'And love makes people do terrible mistakes. Terrible mistakes'

He looked at the blonde woman, like she could answer, tell him something, reassure him. But she kept smiling and waving.

'I'm sorry' he said slowly 'I really am. There was one thing I had to do right... and I failed. I failed. All those prizes, all those awards... rubbish. Who cares if I'm the best wizard of my century if I haven't been able to protect my family? Who cares?'

No answer came.

'And I'm disgusted. I'm disgusted because everybody thinks I'm such a great person, that I'm wise and I did everything right... but it's not true. It's not true. And I find myself dwelling, just like I told Harry not to. And I keep using people for my goals, just like I did with all of you'.

He sighed.

'I'm sorry. I keep doing the same mistakes, day after day. I keep being ambitious, I keep thinking that I can always be the right man in the right place. But, Ariana, there's one thing I have to tell you: in every boy, in every girl here in Hogwarts I see you. And when I help any of them I like thinking that I'm handing them the hand I haven't handed to you. I like thinking that they live in you. Is it pathetic?'

Albus looked at his sister and for a small fraction of second he believed she had shook her head.

'Strange thing this mirror, isn't it? It is supposed to show us our inner desire... but sometimes it so inner that we don't want to know. That we don't want to look in. Some people who looked inside went home and completely changed their life. Some of them killed themselves, unable to cope with what they had seen

But you know what? No matter how aching, how painful, how terrible it is to watch you here... I'm so happy that I see you instead of a pair of wollen socks. I'm so happy that my love for you is still strong after so many years. And, parodaxically, I'm so happy that my remorse and my grief are still so huge and terrible'

He looked at his family.

'Goodbye mum, dad, Aberforth, Ariana. I love you'

And in the moment he turned his shoulders, he could have sworn that they had mouthed 'Love you too'.

* * *

_Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,_

_and sorry I could not travel both_

_and be one traveler, long I stood_

_and looked down one as far as I could _

_to where it bent in the undergrowth_

_Robert Frost_

**A/N I had actually thought of dropping this story, but I got some reviews that made my change my mind. I don't if I update regurarly though. About this chapter, I'm not totally satisfied with it, so I really need your comments. So, please, review!**


	5. Teddy Lupin

'Teddy?'

'Yes, Victoire?'

They had been married for two weeks. Two wonderful weeks that they had spent at home, spending as much time as possible in bed.

After two weeks there had been a slight improvement: they had moved to the couch.

Teddy looked at his beautiful wife.

'What's up?' he asked looking into her blue eyes, still wondering why such a perfect creature was married to a pink-haired man.

'There's a question I want to ask you' Victoire answered.

'A question?' Teddy asked caressing her hair absent-mindedly.

'Yes. A question I've wanted to ask you since I were fifteen'

Teddy rose on his elbows and looked at her, blushing furiously.

'Okay, that Christmas at the Burrow I was the one who opened the door while you were having a shower, but I swear I didn't do that on purpose and when I saw that you were inside I immediately closed my eyes and went out and... and... you should have locked the door anyway'

Victoire smiled.

'That's not what I wanted to ask. It's a serious question'

'A serious question?' Teddy asked.

'Yes. About... your parents'

Teddy changed expression.

'What about them?'

'It's that... I've always wondered... do you hate them?'

'Who? My parents?' Teddy asked surprised.

'No, no, I mean... the people who killed them. Do you hate them?' she said in a small voice.

'If I hate them?' Teddy repeated thoughtfully.

'When I was fifteen mum told me how your parents were killed... and I thought that if I were you I would have hated the people who did that. That my biggest desire would have been to kill them. Is it like that?' she said, looking into Teddy's grey eyes.

'My biggest desire?' Teddy repeated 'When I was eleven' he said slowly, choosing the words with care 'I saw the Mirror of Erised'

'Really?' Victoire asked.

'And what I saw...'

'Yes?' she asked, as she was scared of what was coming next.

'What I saw wasn't a vision of hatred or rage. It was love. Pure love. It was my family'

'Your parents?'

'No, no, everybody' Teddy said with a sad smile 'My parents, my mother, my grandparents. The Potters and all the Weasleys...'

'Quite a crowded vision...' Victoire commented and Teddy smiled.

'And there were my grandmother's sisters, Narcissa and Bellatrix'

'Bellatrix Lestrange? The woman who...' Victoire whispered.

'Yes, the woman who killed my mother. And they were all happy, smiling to each other and to me. There was no hatred, no rage. It was the world how it was supposed to be without Voldemort. A world that has never existed'

'You don't hate them then' Victoire said looking at him.

'Well, it's more complicated than that. Harry told me once than even though we have to remember, even though we ough to remember, we have to move on. To understand. To forgive. I've forgiven them. They were victims as well. I pity them'

'Really?'

'Yes, Victoire. I don't hate anybody. I can proudly say that I love you, Harry, Grandmum, all your family and my friends, but I don't hate anyone. My life is based on love. I am a happy man' he said playing with her hair.

'But when you were a child you were sad' Victoire said looking into his eyes.

'Why do you think I was sad?'

'Well, you have just said that you wished your parents were alive. That they were with you' she said, wiping a tear away from her cheek.

Teddy smiled and pulled his wife closer to him.

'I _was _happy. But I obviously wished my parents were still alive. I missed them and I wished I could have a mum and dad, like Harry's children or you and your siblings'

'And now? Now that you have me? Now that you have a family?'

Teddy beamed.

'If I encountered the Mirror now I know I'd see something different'

'What?' Victoire asked.

'You and me together forever' he said simply, as he was stating the obvious.

Victoire smiled and they stood quiet for some moments, holding each other's hands and slowly falling asleep.

.'Teddy?' she said after some minutes.

'What?' he muttered.

'I knew it was you'

'What?'

'The one who opened the door while I was having a shower. I've known that it was you all along.

He laughed and closed his eyes more firmly, smiling at the thought that he would have dreamt of her.

* * *

_You breathed on me and made my life a richer one to live_

_When I was deep in poverty you taught me how to give,_

_Dried the tears up from my dreams and pulled me from the hole_

_Quenched my thirst and satisfied the burning of my soul_

_Bob Dylan_

**A/N Thanks for all your reviews and suggestions. Last time I forgot to mention that I'm totally open to suggestions of any kind... that you can give me only by REVIEWING.**


	6. Sirius Black

It was a Wednesday evening and the Library was quiet and deserted.

Lily Evans smiled. She loved spending time in that place, alone, just studying and thinking. But she noticed a person sit on the table where she always sat.

'Black! What are you doing here?' she snorted.

The boy didn't answer and gave her a small sign of greeting.

'Are you planning any pranks? Does Potter have something to do with this?' she said, nervously looking around, expecting to see the other Marauders coming.

'James is not here' the boy said laconically

'Are you alone?' she asked suspiciously.

'Yes' he answered.

'And what are you doing in here?' she asked, looking at the book that Sirius had in his hands.

'Nothing. Studying'

'Studying?' Lily asked 'Do you think I'm stupid or what? You have no idea what study means. You've never studied in your whole life'

'Please, Lily. Just leave me alone' Sirius said.

_Has he just called me Lily? Has he just said 'please'?Something terrible must have happened to him _she thought.

'Sirius, is everything OK?' she asked sitting close to him.

'I told you, I'm fine' he said, hiding with his hands the book he was reading.

'Have you had a fight with Potter? with Pettigrew? with Remus?'

'No. I'm fine. They're fine. We're all fine. And now, please...'

'What are you reading?'

'None of your business' he muttered.

'Oh, this is very impolite to say. Especially from someone who stole my Potions book because Potter wanted to smell it'

'Oh... well...'

'Accio Sirius' book' Lily said, taking the book.

'Give it back to me!' Sirius schrieked.

'Hold on...it's a photo albums... ooooh, is it you?' she said pointing to a picture of a three-year-old boy held by a smiling young girl, while a woman was looking at them in the background.

'Yes' Sirius groaned 'That's me with my cousin Dromeda and my mother'

'Oh... you are adorable' Lily said.

Sirius snorted and Lily looked at him.

'Are you sure you're OK, Sirius?' she asked.

'Oh my God, why do you keep asking me this question, Evans?'

'It's just... you are here... alone, without your stupid friends... wearing a sad expression and looking an old photo album. Are you homesick?'

Sirius laughed sadly.

'This is my home. This is the only place where I want to be'

'Oh, I understand you. It's the same for me, you know?'

'Really?' Sirius asked.

'Yes. My sister hates me. She wishes I didn't exist' she simply said.

'I didn't know that'

'Yes. When I was in my first year I sent her a letter every day. A letter every damn day, apologising for being a witch, for being me. She never answered'

Sirius looked at her.

'If I tell you a secret, will you tell anyone?'

'No' Lily said.

'Don't tell the Marauders. Or your friends. Or anyone in the world'

'I swear I won't'

'This... this afternoon I went into a deserted room and I saw... the Mirror of Erised' he paused to see if there were any reaction from Lily, but she didn't say anything 'Well, I looked inside... expecting God knows what... to see me as the Captain of the Quidditch Team... or... or... I don't know what I wanted to see... but what I saw... was... my mother holding me tightly and rocking me and telling me that she loved me. That she didn't care that I didn't think in the same way as she did... that she simply loved me as much as she loves Regulus... and that she was sorry I left home... and... and...' a lonely tear fell from Sirius' eye.

'Oh Sirius...' Lily said.

'I don't know why it showed that' he said trying to choke back his tears 'I don't care about them, I don't care about her. I'm almost seventeen, I'm not a stupid child whining because his mother loves his brother more. I don't care. I live with the Potters now. I don't care'

'I understand Sirius, I truly do' Lily said 'And you know what? I wish that I didn't care about my sister. But I wish she loved me as well' she had tears in her eyes 'But we don't have to be ashamed. We're not guilty if we want to be loved by the people we love more than being ourselves' she said handing him a handkerchief.

'Thank you' Sirius muttered taking it.

'Now I have to go. See you soon' she said taking her books and heading towards the exit.

'Lily' Sirius called.

'What?'

'I know that James has a lot of flaws... but he has one big quality: he gives love. He gives love without asking anything back. He's one of the few people in my life who have given me love. He'll give you love if you allow him to'

Lily and Sirius exchaged a long look.

'Good night Black' she said smiling.

'Good-bye Evans' he said, finally understanding why James thought that that small red haired girl was so damn special.

_

* * *

__What are the roots that clutch, what branches grown_

_Out of this stony rubbish? Son of a man,_

_You cannot say, or guess, for you only know _

_A heap of broken images, where the sun beats,_

_And the dead tree gives no shelter, the cricket no relief,_

_And the dry stone no sound of water. Only_

_There is shadow under this red rock_

_(Come in under the shadow of this red rock)_

_T. S. Eliot_

A/N Hello everybody! Thanks for all your reviews and for your incredible suggestions, thank you so much! I hope you liked this chapter and, as always, I hope you'll leave me your comments and your fabulous ideas.


	7. Peter Pettigrew

'_That's strange' twelve-year-old Ronald Weasley told his friends at breakfast._

'_What's strange?' Hermione asked._

'_It's about Scabbers. Three nights ago I woke up and he wasn't on my bedtable as usual. And tonight I woke up because I was thirsty but he could be seen nowhere'_

'_Maybe he roams around the Castle at night' Harry suggested._

'_Yes, it might be' Ron said, pouring some pumpking juice in his glass._

* * *

Peter Pettigrew looked at the Mirror.

He remembered it.

All the Marauders had looked inside it.

James had seen his future life, his life with Lily _(the life that you destroyed...)_

Remus hadn't revealed what he had seen, but he had tears in his eyes after that and he had hugged them all, thanking them for being his friends _(he comes to your grave every month and he even apologises because he goes to see James and Lily's grave first...)_

Sirius hadn't said what he had seen either; he had gone into their dorm in the late evening and had simply told them: 'You're the best family of the world' _(Sirius, the only alive person who knows the truth)._

All the Marauders had seen in the Mirror, except for one.

Except for the shy one, for the less intelligent, the less brilliant, the less brave one.

All the Marauders except for the _rat_, as sometimes they called him jokingly, except for Peter Pettigrew.

He hadn't wanted to look inside that Mirror, he had been scared to look so far inside himself.

_It takes courage to look there inside, _Remus had once said and Peter had thought he wasn't brave enough.

And he had no idea why more than twenty years later he wanted to do that.

He breathed deeply and looked inside.

And there they were. Because he knew it was going to be them. Because he knew what his biggest desire was.

There they were. James, Sirius and Remus. It was the first day of Hogwarts and he remembered it so well. They had gone together to the Dorm and they had jumped on their beds as long as they had fallen asleep, scared and excited at the same time. But this vision was different. James, Sirius and Remus were exactly like he remembered them, but the fourth boy wasn't him. It was just someone else, someone he didn't know. A stranger who would have become the fourth marauder, spent his years at school with them, been the Secret Keeper for James and Lily.

_That's my biggest desire... I wish I had never existed._

_Because I didn't deserve you. Why did you become my friends? James was brilliant, Sirius was charming, Remus was intelligent... what was I? Why did you choose me as your friend? Couldn't you see that I was different? Couldn't you see that the Hat had made a mistake? Couldn't you see that I just wasn't like you, that for me those words, those things, braveness, courage, friendship were just words and nothing else? Couldn't you see my glare when you talked about sacrificing our lives in order to save our friends? Couldn't you see that I was scared? Couldn't you see that I didn't deserve to be called a Marauder, to be called a Gryffindor, to be called a man? Couldn't you see that it would have been better for us all, for me as well, if I had never existed?_

_I betrayed you all. I gave James and Lily into His hands, I doomed Sirius to a life in Azkaban and Remus to a lonely life, without his friends._

_And can't you see that I'm still like I used to be? That even though I admit my faults I still have no remorse, I can still sleep peacefully every night? That I'm still attached to life, this miserable and horrible life, doomed to be a mouse for the rest of my life?_

_You were brave, you were perfect. You would have died for me, I know. But I... I couldn't do that. I wouldn't have done that. It's just the way I am._

_And I know it's horribly ridicolous, after all what you have done, after all the terrible risks you have faced, but right now, looking at you in this mirror, I feel like I'm the bravest person of the world, looking into something that is at the same time my biggest desire and my biggest fear._

_'It takes courage to look there inside' were you the one who said that, Remus?_

_I'm brave. I'm brave._

And for a moment, for a fraction of a moment, after twelve long years he turned into a man again. He touched his face with his hands, and found it covered with tears.

_I'm brave, I'm brave..._

And suddendly for the first time in his life that word didn't sound empty or meaningless.

_I'm brave, I'm brave..._ he kept repeating turning himself into a mouse again.

He looked at the Mirror for one more time. He looked at those boys, who seemed taller and bigger and more powerful than ever seen from his height.

_I'll be brave. I'll try to_ he thought, not knowing that he would have remembered that moment more than five years later, standing in front of a boy who looked so much like the friend he had loved and killed.

* * *

_To become a valiant man_

_Is difficult, valiant in his hand, feet_

_And brains, plasmed without blame_

_Simonides of Ceos_

**A/N What do you think about this? I found it so difficult to write, so difficult to try to understand a character whom I personally hate (he killed his best friend! And after thirteen years he still had little remorse! Gosh...), so I'd be glad to know what you think about it... please, REVIEW!**


	8. Neville Longbottom

**Dedicated to SharkiesGirl, who gave me the idea for this and always leaves kind reviews**

'Are you saying that I could have been the Chosen One?' Neville asked baffled.

Harry nodded with a sad smile.

It was the afternoon after the Battle of Hogwarts and they were sit on their beds in their Dorm, alone.

'But... how?' he asked looking at Harry in amazement.

'I told you. The prophecy said that the boy woul have been born at the end of July and his parents would have defeated Voldemort three times. This was valid for you and me both'

'But why... why did he choose you?' he asked.

'I don't know. Dumbledore didn't know either. I think he just followed his gut' he said with a small smile.

Neville didn't answer.

'Neville... are you all right?'

Harry looked at him, feeling an awkward rush of affection, remembering the first time he had seen him _('Has anybody seen my toad?')_, the time when Hermione had Petrified him _('It takes a great deal to stand up to your enemies, but even more to stand up to your friends...' _and he felt a lump in his throat while remembering it), all the time they had spent together in class and in the Common Room. How much different this Neville was from the one who hid behind Hermione during Potions. His face was covered up with scars, his eyes were wise and brave.

'Neville... are you all right?' he asked again.

'Yes... I was just... thinking'

Harry looked at him with a questioning look.

'It's strange that if Voldemort had chosen differently... I would have been you, the famous one, the chosen one...'

'Neville...' Harry tried to say.

'Let me tell you one thing. A thing I've never told anyone'.

* * *

_Eleven-year-old Neville was on the verge of tears. He had got lost. Again. _

_He looked around, trying to understand where he was. Why was the Castle so big? Why weren't there any signs? Why wasn't anybody there to point him the way to Transfiguration Class?_

_He sighed. He would have been late. Again. And McGonagall would have killed him. _

_He suddendly noticed a strange light coming from a room whose door was half-opened. Without even thinking about what he was doing, he put his hand on the doorknob and opened it. _

_It was a big squared room and right in the middle there was a giant mirror._

'_What is this?' Neville wondered._

_He went closer and looked inside, expecting to see his face, but he saw Harry Potter's one instead._

'_Harry!' he shrieked, turning his head to see him, but nobody was behind him. How couuld it be possible? He looked alternitevely at the Mirror and behind him but nothing could change the fact that Harry Potter was in the Mirror but not in the room._

_He looked at the Mirror again, trying to understand what was going on and much to his disbelief he saw that Harry's face was slowly changing. It got fatter, rounder, his hair became flatter and fairer. Neville couldn't believe to his eyes: it was him in the Mirror, but he had Harry's lightining-bolt scar on his head. _

_He looked at it again, trying to understand why a sense of happiness and peace was crossing his heart. _

_He turned his shoulders and quickly went out of the room, trying not to wonder about what he had seen._

* * *

'The Mirror of the Erised...' Harry said slowly. 

'Yes... I found it out at the end of that year, when Hermione told me how you had managed to defeat Voldemort'

'But... but what did it mean? Why did I turn into you? What...?'

'I guess my biggest wish was to be you. This sounds horrible, but I wanted to be the one whose parents were killed and had defeated Voldemort. I wanted to be one who had survived the Killing Curse. I wanted to be the famous one, the popular one, the admired one. I just wanted to be you' he said and he sounded like he were apologising to Harry.

'Neville, I... I don't know what to say...'

'You don't have to say anything, really. I was... alone and nobody appreciated me... and you... well, you were just perfect...'

'I didn't run a perfect life. I grew up with the Dursleys, who hated me. When I was in my 5th year everybody believed I was insane...' Harry said.

'I know that... the thing is that I didn't want to be you, I didn't want to be Harry Potter. I wanted to be Neville Longbottom, but with that scar on my forehead'

The two boys looked at each other.

'I saw my parents in the Mirror' Harry said slowly.

Neville didn't answer.

'I saw my parents' Harry repeated again and much to his disbelief he realised he was crying.

'They would have been proud of you' Neville said.

'Your parents would have been incredibly proud of you, Neville' Harry replied.

Neville smiled.

'You know what?' Harry said 'I think that among all people I'm glad you are here with me. Because everything started with us and everything must have ended with us'

Neville beamed and took two bottles of Butterbeer that were under his bed, he opened them and handed one to Harry.

They exchanged a long look and for a moment, for an incredibly small moment, they both felt like they were eleven again and that the only challenge of their life was to arrive on time at McGonagall's classes and to find a certain toad.

'To us, just in the way we are' Neville said.

'And just in the way we were' Harry added.

The two boys smiled and rose their bottles.

* * *

_Ah, but I was so much older than_

_I'm younger than that now._

_Bob Dylan_

**A/N Thanks everybody for your reviews and for your suggestions. What did you think about this chapter? I hope you liked it... let me know by REVIEWING, please. I feel sad when I see that people favourited my story without leaving a review... I'm very interested in knowing what you personally think about the story.** **PS Sorry I'm quoting Dylan again, he just happens to be my favourite singer and his lyrics often cross my mind while I'm writing my stuff. **


	9. Remus Lupin

'So,' Dumbledore said 'how are you?'

Remus shifted uncomfortably on his chair, remembering how many times during his school years he had sat there, on that very same chair, trying to find an answer to the very same question Dumbledore had just posed.

'Everything is all right' he said slowly 'Everything is all right' he repeated, like if he were trying to convince himself.

'Are you sure? Isn't there anything particular that you want to tell me?'

Remus shook his head.

'About Black?'

Remus shook his head more firmly.

'And what about Harry? Harry Potter?'

'Harry Potter?' Remus stammered, trying to avoid Dumbledore's penetrating look 'Well... he's a very gifted young boy. Very intelligent and...'

'Remus' Dumbledore said looking at him and Remus blushed a bit, thinking how strange it was that for a moment Dumbledore's tone had reminded him of Sirius' one. He looked at his hands that were on the desk.

'Remus' Dumbledore said again.

'When I met him for the first time, on that train' Remus said slowly, without rising his look from his hands 'I thought it was James. I was sure it was James. Stupid from me'

'No, it's not stupid. He incredibly looks like James. Except for his eyes'

'Lily's eyes...' Remus said.

'When Hagrid met him he had no idea how his parents looked like... he had never seen a picture of them' Dumbledore said.

Remus didn't rise his head and kept staring at his hands.

'He saw them in the Mirror of Erised in his first year, did you know that?' he continued.

Remus shook his head and a small smile appeared on his lips.

'The Mirror of Erised... is it still at Hogwarts?' he asked.

Dumbledore nodded.

'I encountered it when I was seventeen' he said, slowly rising his head.

He looked at Dumbledore.

'I had always imagined what I would have seen since the first time I read about it. Then James encountered it... he saw Lily' he added with a smile '... and... Sirius' the smile immediately disappeared 'And I had always tried to imagine what I would see. I was sure it would have been a life without being a werewolf. A life where I had never been bitten by Greyback' he smiled again.

'Did you see what you expected?' Dumbledore asked.

'Yes and no' Remus said.

_

* * *

__The Mirror. There it was._

_Just like he had read in the books. Just like James and Sirius had said. The Mirror of Erised._

_He smiled and brethed deeply._

_He was sure he was going to see a different life, a life he had never had: a life where Greyback had never bitten him, changing his life forever._

_He wasn't sure he could handle it. He wasn't sure he could see what that bite had stolen from his forever.._

'_I'm a Marauder' he reminded himself 'I won't be scared by a stupid Mirror'_

_He looked inside._

_At first there was no difference. It was just him, maybe a little bit older than he was, but not that much. And then he saw another person close to him. He glared at him and much to his disbelief he realised who it was: Snape. Snape, who had a big smile on his face (Remus had never seen such a big smile on his face) and had a bottle in his hand, which was handing to Remus. _

_No word was spoken._

_But Remus realised what was going on.And a small tear appeared on the corner of his eye. A tear of happiness._

* * *

'I was a werewolf, but Snape had found the antidote against lycanthropy and was giving it to me. I would have recovered' 

'Why does this difference matter so much to you?' Dumbledore asked.

'It's totally different! I wanted to go through all those years of fear and grief and loneliness again. I wanted to go through it. My biggest wish wasn't to cancel that bite' he tried to explain.

'Why?'

'Because... because that grief, that loneliness had shaped me into the person I was. And when I was seventeen I liked being myself. My friends liked me and accepted me just in the way I was. I didn't want to cancel that bite because if I had cancelled it I would have changed myself. I would have been a totally different person. Maybe I wouldn't have befriended James, Peter and... James and Peter. I would have been another person'

'You liked being yourself' Dumbledorr said thoughtfully.

'I liked being myself. I had friends, I had respect, I loved my life. Even though I knew that it would have been difficult, I was sure I would have had a shining future. I wanted a wife, a family, a good job. And most of all, I wanted to stay with my friends forever' Remus bowed his head again, and Dumbledore saw a small tear falling from his eyes.

'The years in school have been the best of my life. _They _made them amazing and exhilarating. But now...' he paused.

'What do you think you would see now, Remus? Do you still like being yourself?' Dumbledore asked.

Remus rose his head.

'I don't care about being myself. I don't care about living anymore' he replied slowly.

'Remus...' Dumbledore said.

'I'd see them. I'd see myself giving my life so they could live even just one more day of life. I'd see them. Because they were the ones who made my life worth living and it's just not right that I lived and they fell. It's just not right'

He put his head in his hands and began crying.

Dumbledore looked at him.

'You know what?'

'What?' Remus said rising his head and looking at the old Headmaster, his face covered with tears.

'This is one of those times... of those few times... when I really have nothing to say'

'I haven't had anything to say for twelve years' Remus replied.

They exchanged a long look and Dumbledore tried to find in his face the traces of the time when he had happily laughed with his best friends.

But he couldn't find them. They had disappeared twelve years earlier.

_

* * *

__I wonder if it hurts to live_

_And if they have to try,_

_And whetever, could they choose between,_

_They would not rather die_

_Emily Dickinson_

**A/N Hello everybody!!! This chapter was so difficult to write, even because I've been ill (nothing serious, just some flue), and I'm not totally satisfied with it. What do you think? Please, REVIEW, your opinions are important.**


	10. Fred Weasley

'_The Mirror of Erised...' Fred whispered._

'_Yes...' George remarked, looking at the Mirror._

_They had been looking for it for two years, after the first time they had heard McGonagall mentioning it in class, and finally there they were._

'_You go first' Fred said._

_George looked at him in amazement._

'_No, you go first' he replied.._

'_You go first' Fred repeated without looking at him._

'_Fred, what's the problem with you?' George said, trying to make out that strange look of fear and exhilaration in his brother's eyes._

'_I don't know... it's just... I'm scared... it's like... if this were bigger than me...' he muttered._

'_We're Gred and Forge! We have no idea what fear is' George said._

'_You're right' Fred said with a smile 'I don't know what I was thinking.'_

_He stepped closer and looked inside the Mirror._

'_What do you see? What do you see?' George asked._

'_I see... I see... Oh Merlin!' he whispered._

'_What? What?' George asked, looking at his brother's pale face._

'_I would have never guessed that I was going to see this' he said, and his voice was barely audible._

'_WHAT DO YOU SEE?' George shouted as he saw a small tear falling from Fred's eye._

_A tear from Fred's eye. George had never seen Fred crying._

* * *

Twelve years later 

'Are you sure you want to do that, George?' Angelina asked.

George looked at her and at the tiny baby who was resting in her arms.

'Yes I am' he said.

'Are you sure you want to do that, George?' Ginny asked.

George smiled to his little sister and to her sons.

'Yes I am' he said.

Percy, Bill, Charlie, Ron, Harry, even Fleur and Hermione posed him the very same question.

'Yes I am' he answered every time, pretending he didn't see their worried expressions.

And his parents asked him if he wanted to do that.

'I must do that, mum, and therefore I can' he said, smiling at his parents' puzzled look.

'Well, if you really want to...' Harry sighed in the end and said a couple of words to McGonagall.

She nodded while a worried look appeared on her face and she went to the Headmistress chair.

'We'd like to start the celebration of today – the celebration of the fallen during the two wars against Voldemort – with a speech by a relative of one of the victims, Fred Weasley' as she pronunced the name she sighed 'This is his twin brother George'

George went close to her and McGonagall, much to George's and her own disbelief, hugged him.

George smiled and looked at the audience. Like every 2nd May, like every celebration of the fallen of the Two Wars, there they were. The students, the former members of the Order of the Phoenix and of the Dumbledore's Army, all the people who had fought and struggled against Voldemort, all the people who had lost a relative in war... there they were.

George smiled looking at those faces he loved so much. His family, his friends...

'Strange thing what memory is' he began 'We are sure that we always remember everything. We're sure that nothing can slip from our mind. In all these years, I was sure I remembered everything of my brother, Fred. I tried to keep everything in my mind. I couldn't really forget his face, as I look into a mirror and I immediately remember it' he said with a laugh and the members of his family looked at each other, as they couldn't believe he was actually laughing talking about Fred.

'But I was scared I could forget his habits. During the first week after his death I started drinking my tea with two sugars. I didn't like it.But I didn't want to forget how Fred used to take it.

I've always been sure I remembered everything about him. And then, this night, I found out I was wrong'

He looked at the audience.

'I had forgotten the most important thing of all. The one thing I had to remember. I had forgotten it. I had forgotten it.

And I remembered it tonight. I was waiting for my son, Fred, to fall asleep' he said smiling to Angelina, who smiled back to him.

'I remembered the time we encountered the Mirror of Erised.

Fred didn't want to look inside it at first. He was scared and he didn't know why, as he was never scared. Then he finally decided to do that.

And do you know what he saw?' he paused.

'He saw himself dead'

'At first he couldn't understand. Why was he dead? He didn't wish to die. He loved life, he loved life more than anybody else I know. Then he saw that people were remembering him. But without tears, without desperation.

They were happy. They were laughing remembering his pranks, his jokes, his life.

There was no sadness, no grief.

And he understood what his biggest desire was. We both knew that a war was coming. We both knew that our lives were in danger. All the people who died, all the people we're celebrating today, were fully aware of what could happen to them.

And Fred was scared. But not scared to die. He was scared of the effects that his death could have on the people he loved. On his mother, on his father, on his brothers, on his little sister... on me.

And what he wished the most was to be remembered with laughs.

And I forgot about it. In all these years, during these celebrations, I've sit there, among you, without daring to talk, crying with you and mourning with you.

This is just so wrong. He wanted us to laugh. They all wanted us to laugh' he said pointing to the placque were the names of the fallen were inscribed.

'They wanted to give us a happier world to live in. In this way we're not celebrating them. We're killing them again. Do you understand?'

Suddendly they heard a noise in the distance. Everybody looked at each other, trying to understand where it was coming from.

'That was not fair! You can't tickle me!' a girl voice was screaming happily.

'Yes I can!' a boy was laughing.

'Oh I'm so sorry' a blonde woman said getting up and blushing furiously 'That's Victoire and Teddì, I told them they could roam around the Castle if they wanted to, but I told them to keep silent. I'll go and...'

'No Fleur, that's my point: let them play, let them laugh, let them be happy. We should let ourselves be happy' George said with a strange smile, the one that he had when he was going to pull a prank

'And therefore... Mr. Peeves!' he called.

'Yes sir' the spirit said appearing at his right.

'Let's give them the hell for Fred' George said with a laugh and in that very same moment there were several explosions and the Hall was covered up with strange lights, gases of all kinds

People stood up, looking at each other in embarrassment, without knowing what to do.

But five red-heads began laughing aloud, and they were soon followed by their own families and by everybody who was in.

'What a better way to celebrate?' Peeves shrieked while running after the excited Teddy and Victoire.

And everybody, especially the ones who were looking at them from above, could do nothing but agree.

* * *

_Laugh, and the world laughs with you _

_Weep and you weep alone_

_Ella Wheeler Wilcox_

**A/N What do you think about it? This is one of the few times it came out exacly how I had imagined it and I like it. What about you? Please, REVIEW!**


	11. Tom Riddle

Two black figures were roaming through Hogwart's castle at night.

One was tall and was walking quickly, while the other one was following it.

'My Lord' the small one asked 'What are we looking for?'

'Dolohov' the tall figure snorted 'I've told you one hundred times'

'Yes, I know' the other figure answered, his voice trembling 'But I haven't understood. Why do you want to find a mirror?'

'It's not a simple mirror, you stupid prat. It's the Middle of Erised. It will show me my greatest wish; in other words, it will show me how to obtain what I want. Have you understood now?'

'Yes, but... isn't this dangerous? If Dumbledore gets us we'll get a detention...'

'Lord Voldemort is not scared of detentions' the tall boy answered 'Here we are' he continued, pointing at a door.

He stepped closer and went in.

'Is it... is it...' Dolohov asked, following Voldemort and looking above his shoulder.

'Yes. The Mirror of Erised' he answered.

'What's written on it?' Dolohov asked.

Voldemort didn't answer and looked inside the Mirror.

'Show me... show me how to create the Horcruxes... that's my biggest wish...' he whispered, making sure that Dolohov couldn't hear him.

'What do you see, My Lord?' Dolohov asked.

'It's just... me' Voldemort muttered.

'What else, My Lord?' Dolohov asked.

'Keep still' Voldemort said, looking into the mirror.

Inside it there was himself, but he was getting younger and younger.

He was seventeen.

Then eleven, like the first day he had come to Hogwarts.

Six, the age he was when he had realised for the first time that he could make strange things happen.

Two, when he was a toddler waiting in his couch for somebody to rock him.

And then, a little baby.

He saw himself as a little baby, held by a woman. His mother.

'I love you' she was saying 'I love you more than everything'

_But you left me_ the boy thought _You didn't care about me. You let yourself die_

'Who told you this?' the woman said wih a ringing laugh 'I've never left you. I've always been here. You cried on my shoulder, you slept in my bed when you had nightmares'

Tom looked at the Mirror more closely.

'I love you Tom' the woman was saying.

_Really?_ he asked aloud.

'Yes. I love you. I've never left you, that was just your imagination'

Tom peered at the woman.

_It's not true _a voice said inside himself _That's just what you wish. You know the story. Your father – the Muggle – didn't want you. Your mother didn't love you enough. Nobody has ever loved you._

'My Lord...' Dolohov fleebily asked.

His voice seemed to come from miles and miles away.

'Yes?' Voldemort asked.

'Have you seen... what you wanted? Have you seen... how to conquer the wizarding world?'

Voldemort looked at him and for a mere second he thought of telling him the truth.

But he wasn't a friend. He had never had friends.

'Yes' he lied 'Yes, I saw everything I needed'.

He went towards the exit, soon followed by Dolohov, trying to forget what he had seen.

He had no idea that he would have seen that vision clearly in his eyes twice.

Once in front of a woman who _did _love her son and who was ready to die for him.

He tried to kill her child for revenge: he almost died.

The second time was the day he died.

He looked at the people whom he wanted to kill, at the people whom he wanted to defeat. They were protecting each other, were shielding their friends with their own bodies, were facing death just to leave a better world for the ones they loved.

He saw Molly Weasley protecting her daughter, Ron Weasley shielding Hermione Granger, Neville Longbottom defending Hannah Abbott, Nymphadora Lupin crying on her husbands' lifeless body, Bill Weasley facing three Death Eaters in order to save his wife's life.

Tom looked at Harry Potter.

His parents and his friends had died for him or they had been ready to do that just because they loved him.

He had reached him in the forest and he had opened his arms, just like his mother had done before, willing to die for the ones he loved.

And for a moment, for a fraction of moment Tom wondered how his life would have been different if someone had told him just once:

'I love you'.

* * *

_I had a dream, which was not at all a dream._

_The bright sun was estinguish'd and the stars_

_Did wander darkling in the eternal space,_

_Rayless, and pathless, and the icy earth_

_swung blind and blackening in the moonless air._

_Lord Byron_

**A/N What do you think? I'm actually feeling sorry for Tom/Voldemort. What about you? Tell me: REVIEW!**


	12. Albus Severus Potter

Albus Severus Potter loved his father with all his heart.

'I'm jealous of those two' Ginny often told Hermione 'They seem to have a special bound'

Albus needed Harry's physical presence. He suffered when he was abroad for work. When they went out, he was always close to him, their hands clutching. When they were at family gatherings, he would sit on the arm of Harry's chair and listen carefully to his words.

When Harry was in his study, he liked sneaking in and sitting on a chair in a corner.

'What's wrong, Al?' Harry would ask after some moments, rising his eyes from his papers.

'Nothing' Albus would say.

'Do you want to see the pictures?' Harry would propose.

'Yes!' Albus would smile.

Harry would put him on his shoulders and they would look at the pictures on the high shelves.

_Lily, James, Sirius, Uncle Fred, Remus, Dora, Dobby, Professor Dumbledore, Professor Snape..._

He grew up listening to those names, looking at those smiling faces.

'Would you be happy if they were alive?' Albus would ask looking at his father's small wrinkles under his eyes.

'I _am_ happy. I have you, James and Lily. I have your mother. I am the happiest man of the world'

'But would you be happier if they were alive? Would Teddy be happier if his parents were alive? Would Grandma and Granpa be happier if Uncle Fred were alive?'

'Well... yes...' Harry would say, looking at his young son's serious face.

'Let's see the pictures on the other shelf, ok?' he would say with a false big smile on his face, taking a picture from where Ron and Hermione were waving enthusiastically on their wedding day.

* * *

Albus Severus Potter loved only one thing more than his father. To see people happy. 

'He has Harry's genes' Ginny always said laughing 'When he sees someone sad he thinks it's his fault and he tries to fix it'

He was the only Weasley cousin who dared approach his Grandmother on _that _day and who stayed with her the whole day, listening to silly stories of when Fred was a baby.

Once when he was six he stole his mother's wand to fix Rosie's hair, because she had been complaining about it.

During a family gathering he declared that Uncle Percy was his favourite uncle, just because he had seen him getting sad at the mention of Fred.

Therefore it wasn't really a surprise for him when in the Mirror of Erised he saw the faces of the ones who would have made happier the ones he loved the most.

His grandparents, his uncle Fred, Teddy's parents, Dobby, his two namesakes...

Albus looked at them, feeling a pang of guilt in his stomach.

'They died in order to give us a happier world to live in' Harry always said and Albus had always felt selfish for that and guilty for their death.

He recounted what he had seen in the Mirror seven years later, the day before graduating, to Professor Longbottom.

'I wanted them to be alive. I wanted all us to be happy together. I still want it'

'You know what?' Professor Longbottom said, looking at him.

'What?' Albus asked.

'They are happy when you are happy. They truly are'

Albus didn't answer, just thinking of what his teacher had just said.

'And... Al?' Professor Longbottom said.

'Yes?'

'I wanted to tell you that you're the true son of your father...'

Albus beamed.

'But I changed idea. You're one of the most incredible young men I've ever met in my whole life'

Albus felt happy, finally understanding that being happy wasn't a way to neglect the sacrifice of the ones who had come before, but to celebrate them... and to make them happy as well.

* * *

_Oh dearest, dearest boy! My heart_

_For better lore would seldom yearn_

_Could I but teach the hundredth part_

_Of what from thee I learn._

_William Wordsworth_

**A/N Sorry for the delay in posting, but last week has been so hectic, and this one will be as well! Anyway, what did you think about this? I'm not truly satisfied with it, so I'm very curioud to know your opinions. Review, please!!**


	13. Draco Malfoy

**Dedicated to Phoenix from the ashes, who gave me the idea for this**

Draco looked around and smiled.

He gazed at all those boys and girls zooming up and down the Platform, shrieking wildy to each other and pushing their heavy trunks, while their parents were chatting among each others, the ones with older children relaxed and happy, the ones who had to let go their kids for the first time with a worried smile and sad eyes.

He tried to breath that atmosphere, that sense of exhilaration that was pervading the air, wondering how he had managed to get through nineteen first September's of his life without going to the Platform.

He looked at his young son and smiled.

He couldn't believe that his child was going to Hogwarts.

He was so immersed in his thoughts that he didn't hear his wife calling him.

'Draco...' she repeated.

'What?' he said looking at her.

'Look who is there' she said discreetly pointing to a group of people.

Draco looked at them, immediately recognising the beautiful red-haired woman and the tall scruffy haired man close to her.

He felt an awkward lump in his throat.

'Are you all right?' Astoria asked.

'Yes, yes' he said, with a bit of impatience in his voice.

He looked at Harry again.

Of course, that wasn't the first time he had met him after _that _night.

They had seen each other in the afterwards, he had seen him when he had testified in favour of his family, he had happened to meet him in Diagon Alley and occasionaly at the Ministry.

But meeting him on that Platform brought memories to his mind. Memories he had tried to forget for all his life.

He closed his eyes and he was himself as a young eleven-year-old boy waiting for his robes to be done by Madam Malkin.

He saw the other boy coming in. He saw his scruffy, black hair.

He could feel the rush of affection he had felt towards him.

He could still remember what he had thought.

_I want him to become my friend._

He saw Harry Potter not smiling at his jokes about the Weasleys, he can see Harry looking at him with disgust in his eyes.

_He is not going to be my friend._

He felt on his skin the cold air of that night in his first year, when he was going to duel with Harry.

He saw the room where he had entered after the duel.

There was a big mirror in the middle.

He felt his own fear while he slowly looked into the Mirror and he saw Harry Potter looking at him with a smile he reserved only for the Weasley boy or for the Mudblood girl.

_My biggest wish is him to become to my friend _he had realised some years later, reading in a book about the famous Mirror.

He remembered the day after Voldemort's defeat.

He had roamed through the Castle, unsure about what to do.

He had entered into a room and he had seen the Mirror.

_What am I going to see now? _he had wondered _After all that has happened, what would my biggest wish be now?_

He had looked into that Mirror and much to his disbelief, he had seen again a smiling eleven-year-old Harry Potter stretching out his hand to him.

_Because if Harry had befriended me everythig would have been different._

_Everything would have been better._

He looked at Harry and Ron and he exchanged with them a small sign of greeting.

He kissed his son goodbye and he saw him going towards the Hogwarts Express.

Right before getting on the train, he saw Scorpius looking at Harry's son, who was behind him.

He couldn't hear his words, but he saw his son stretching out his hand to Albus.

And they shook hands.

_This time things will be different._

_This generation will be better _Draco thought, and, seeing Harry's wide beam, he was sure he was thinking the same thing.

* * *

_Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born._

_Anais Nin_

**A/N Love? Hate? Review!!**


	14. Luna Lovegood

Ginny Weasley-Potter smiled, looking at her newborn daughter. She just couldn't believe that such a small human being could be so perfectly perfect.

She looked at Lily again, realising that for the first time ever they were alone.

After the long labour she had had to witness the constant flow of people, cards, flowers. She smiled to everyone, she thanked them, she anxiously asked Harry and her mother how James and Albus were doing.

Harry had just left to go eat something, and she was alone, with her little girl, in her room.

Suddendly she heard a low knock at the door.

'Come in' she said.

The door opened and she saw a familiar face smiling.

'Ginny!' Luna shrieked and the baby groaned in her sleep.

'Sorry, sorry, did I wake her up? Did I do something stupid? Sorry, I...' she said, quickly heading towards the bed.

'No, Luna, that's fine' Ginny said with a wide beam 'Everything is right. I'm so happy you came'

'Oh, she's so beautiful' Luna said looking at Lily 'When I look at babies I almost think that humans are more beautiful than Blibbering Humdingers'

'You should have one, you know' Ginny said smiling.

'What, a Blibbering Humdinger?' Luna asked.

'A baby' Ginny laughed.

'You know, right know I'd rather have a Blibbering Humdinger' Luna said.

'That's a fine joke...' Ginny said 'Oh no. You were serious, weren't you?'

'Yes, I were'

They stood quiet.

'Have you chosen the name?' Luna asked after some moments.

'It's Lily. Like Harry's mum'

'Oh, that's a lovely name'

'But we chose a second name as well' Ginny smirked.

'Really? What is it?'

'Luna'

'Yes?'

'We named her Luna'

'Like me? What a coincidence!' Luna smiled.

'Erm... it's not a coincidence. We named her after you' Ginny explained.

'Really?' Luna asked, her eyes widened 'Why?'

'Oh, well... because you're important to us. Because we love you'

'But... I'm Loony Luna'

Ginny snorted, hearing the old nickname.

'We love you just the way you are' she gently said.

'That's not the first time I hear this' Luna muttered.

'What?' Ginny asked.

_Thirteen-year-old Luna Lovegood, better known as Loony Luna, was __desperately__ looking for her shoes, wondering __why __after three years people still found so amusing to hide them. She randomly opened a door, hoping to find them there, but it was just a big squared room with nothing in it but a big Mirror. Luna was almost going away when she suddendly remembered that her dad had told her something about that a particular mirror that was kept in Hogwarts._

'_The Mirror of Erised, Luna! It's a __slice__ of Moon stolen by Godric Griffyndor. It shows our inner desire'_

_Luna stepped closer and looked into it. _

_She __shivered__. It was her, wearing the big golden earrings she had seen Cho Chang wearing that morning in the Common Room. She looked different. Less pale, happier, more cheerful. She was surrounded by people who were laughing at her jokes... laughing with her, not at her, Luna noticed. _

'_Blibbering Humdingers?' the Luna in the Mirror was saying 'Only freaks believe in Blibbering Humdingers' and everybody laughed with her._

'Oh Luna...' Ginny said.

'I wanted to have friends, I knew that. But what shocked me is that I was ready to give away all my personality, all the things I believed in, in order to be popular. To be like you, or like Cho Chang' Luna said with a small smile.

'I...'

'And that made me sick. I hated myself for that. I hated myself for not being brave enough to carry on my beliefs without caring about the others'

'You didn't care about the others! You never cared!' Ginny said.

'It might have looked like that and I believed that too, but, as the Mirror showed, it wasn't true. I was just pretending'

'What happened next?' Ginny asked in a whisper.

'I went there everytime I could. I had nothing else to do, you know. But one day...'

'One day...'

'I met Dumbledore there'

'Really?'

'Yes. And he told me not to be afraid of what other people thought. He told me that most of the people considered him a freak as well' she said with a small laugh 'And he assured me that I would find people who would have loved me just the way I am'

Ginny smiled.

'Luna, we do love you just the way you are. We really do'

'I know, I know' Luna said with a smile 'May I hold her?' she asked, pointing at the baby.

'Of course you can' Ginny said, handing Lily to her.

Luna took the baby, wearing a very serious look on her face.

'Hi Lily Luna. Oh, it's two ls! Had you realised that it's two ls? Ls are lucky' she whispered to the baby 'Anyway, let's stop joking now. This is serious stuff. I have a big responsability, because you are named after me. I think your parents must be crazy for having done that, but anyway I am the crazy one, aren't I?

I'll teach you loads of things. How to recognise Blibbering Humdingers, for example. And the incredibly healing capacities that gnomes' saliva has and...' she lowered her voice in order not to be heard by Ginny '... and the art of being ourselves, always and in every circumstance, no matter what the world thinks of us. I am no saying that it's easy, but we can try, can't we?'

_The weirdest, kindest and bravest person __I've ever met... _Ginny thought

_I hope my Lily will be exactly like her._

* * *

_Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high_

_Where knowledge is free_

_Where the world has not been broken up into fragments by narrow domestic walls_

_Where words come out from the depth of the truth_

_Rabindranath Tagore_

**A/N Oh, I love Luna! What did you think about this chapter? REVIEW!**

**PS Last time I forgot to put a dedication that I really had to make. So, if you are interested, go and check it. **


	15. George Weasley

1998

The room was dark and quiet.

In the middle there was a big mirror and, right in front of it, a man.

He was looking into the Mirror like he was seeing something more than his simple image.

He had tears in his eyes.

Suddendly a figure of a woman entered into the room.

'Hello George' she whispered.

The man nodded, without replying.

The girl looked at him for a while and then looked at the Mirror.

'Is it...?'

'Yes' the man answered.

'And are you...?'

'Yes' he said again.

The two stood quiet standing in front of the Mirror.

'He is handsome' the woman suddendly said 'He is funny and he's making jokes. He's saying that he loves me. I'm laughing with him. The war is over and we're happy. We are in love. We...'

'Stop' the man muttered.

'I loved him so much' the woman whispered 'I had never realised it. I thought it was just a crush. I thought it wasn't a serious thing. But now... now that he is...'

'Don't say that word'

'Now I think I loved him' she cried 'Now I think I loved him' she repeated.

'Angelina...' the man said, stretching out his arm to touch her, but without managing to put his hand on her shoulder.

She cried silently.

'I see him' George suddendly said 'It's a little bit like watching me in the Mirror. But it isn't me. It's a better version of me. He was better than me in everything. He was funnier, smarter, he had more success with girls...'

Angelina rose her head and looked into the Mirror.

'I don't know if I'm able to live without him'

'I don't know that either' George replied.

And they stood there for the whole night, their broken souls crying together while the rest of the world celebrated the fallen of Voldemort.

* * *

2002 

Angelina entered into the room.

'I knew you were here' she said with a sad smile, looking at George.

'Too much confusion out there' he muttered without looking at her, still staring the Mirror.

'Yes, I know' Angelina said taking off her high-heeled shoes and getting closer to the Mirror.

'I hate all this. Every year'

'You're not obliged to come' Angelina said.

George looked at her with a strange look.

'I ought to. For Fred'

'I can't believe he died exactly three years ago' Angelina sighed.

They stood quiet for some moments, looking at the Mirror..

'Why have you been avoiding me for all this time?' she calmly said.

'What?' George asked, without looking at her.

'When I meet you you pretend you don't see me. I went to your house and you made your mother tell me that you weren't at home. At the previous celebrations you made your best effort not to talk to me.'

George didn't answer.

'I thought we were going to do this together'

'To do what?'

'To heal together. To stay together. To recover together' she said, her eyes glistened with tears.

'Angelina, I...'

'What do you see in that Mirror, George?' she whispered.

'You know what I see' he muttered.

'Tell me'

'I see the same thing you do. I see Fred'

'You are wrong' Angelina cried.

'I do see Fred' George said puzzled.

'I know. But I don't see Fred anymore'

'What do you see?' he asked.

'I see you happy, George. I see you happy' she said crying.

For a long moment, they looked at each other, unable to move.

Then George stepped closer to her and hugged her tightly.

'It's not that I've forgotten him' Angelina whispered crying into his ear 'It's not that I didn't love him. I think of him every day of my life. But I want you to be happy. We can be happy together, can't we?'

'Yes. Yes' George whispered, slowly caressing her long hair.

'Let's reach the others' he said, putting an arm on her shoulders and slowly heading towards the exit.

He turned his head one more time before closing the door, and he catched a quick glimpse of Fred.

Some years later he would have doubted about what he had seen, but in that moment he would have sworn that Fred had mouthed laughing:

'You got her mate!'

George smiled and closed the door.

* * *

_Brother, you went into hiding__One night in August, toward dawn,_

_But instead of chuckling you were sad._

_And the twin heart of those dead evenings_

_Grew annoyed at not finding you. And now _

_A shadow falls on my soul._

_Cesar Vallejo_

**A/N Sorry for the late update, but I have been terribly busy. What do you think about this chapter? Please, REVIEW!**


	16. Colin Creevey

Harry sighed and knocked at the wooden door.

A short brown haired woman opened it and looked at him wearing a puzzled expression.

'Good morning Madam' Harry said 'My name is Harry Potter and...'

'Go away' the woman hissed.

'What, sorry?' Harry asked.

'You killed my son! You told him all that rubbish! You made him...' the woman shouted.

Harry looked at her, unable to say anything.

Suddendly a boy arrived.

'Mum' he said touching the woman's shoulder.

The woman stopped shouting and looked at her son.

'Mum. Don't worry. Go inside. I'll come back in a minute'

The woman looked at him, and nodded, glaring at Harry for the last time.

The boy kissed her on her cheek and went outside, closing the door behind him.

'I'm sorry' he said looking Harry 'It's just that... she blames the whole wizarding world for Colin's death...'

'Don't worry, Dennis' Harry said, his heart beating faster than usual, tears of remorse and guilt in his eyees.

Dennis smiled.

'Shall we sit there?' he proposed pointing at a bench on the porch.

Harry nodded and they sat there.

'I came here' Harry said 'Because at the funeral I didn't get the chance to talk to your or to any of your relatives. I just wanted to tell you how sorry I am for Colin'.

Dennis smiled.

'Thanks' he said.

They stood quiet for some moments.

'I just can't believe that he is dead' Harry said 'I remember the first time I met him'

'I guess he took a picture of you' Dennis said with a small smile.

Harry beamed.

'Yes. He was constantly taking pictures of everybody'

'He sent us those pictures. He wanted us to be part of his world'

'I have... I have something for you' Harry said.

'What?' Dennis asked surprised.

_Accio Colin's camera_ Harry murmured and suddendly an old camera appeared in his hands.

'It was found close to his body. I thought you would have wanted to have it' Harry said, handing it to Dennis.

The young boy nodded, his eyes glistened with tears.

'He wanted to make a picture of the victory' Dennis said.

'Did he?' Harry asked.

'Yes. He left this letter' he said, taking a crumpled paper from his pocket and handing it to Harry.

'Can I... can I read it?' Harry asked.

Dennis nodded.

_30__th__ April_

_Dear Dennis,_

_I'm here, sit under the big apple tree, and I'm thinking about my future._

_I've just got an owl from Neville, who's telling me that he thinks that the day of the final battle against Voldemort is approaching. _

_And I'm here, thinking about my future._

_Even though mum and dad have banned us from going back to the wizarding world, I know, Dennis that I will take part of that battle. _

_And, I don't know why, I have the strange feeling that I won't survive to that battle._

_I know I shouldn't be saying this. I know I should be confident about my future. _

_I know all this, but I just can't help having this feeling. But, after all, if you're reading this, it means my guts were right._

_Last year, just after Dumbledore's death, while I was randomly roaming throught the castle, desperetely trying to find a sense to all the terrible things that had been happening, I accidently encountered the Mirror of Erised... you know, that Mirror that shows our inner desire._

_I looked inside._

_And there it was._

_A picture, a single picture, floating inside the Mirror._

_I looked closer._

_It portrayed the Great Hall of Hogwarts. People were laughing, hugging each other and celebrating, surrounding Harry. _

_And I realised what my biggest desire was._

_Tto take that picture. The take the picture of our victory on Voldemort. _

_And I realised that all these years spent taking pictures of the most unlikely people in the most unlikely situations was just a preparation to take that picture, the last one, the most important one, the historical one._

_And here, sit under this tree where when we were children I liked resting during summer, I'm thinking about my future._

_I'm wondering whetever I'll be able to take that picture or not._

_I'm wondering whetever I'll be able to take other hundreds of pictures after that one._

_I'm wondering..._

_I'm wondering and while doing that I'm realising there are no answers to my questions._

_The only thing I'm really sure about is that I'll fight for the values I believe in._

_I'll fight to let someone, if not myself, take that picture._

_The picture of victory, the picture of peace, the picture of happiness and joy._

_Don't cry for me Dennis. Just take pictures to remember me._

_Yours forever _

_Colin_

* * *

Harry rose his head.

'Can I ask you a favour?' he asked.

'Of course' Dennis answered.

'Could you take a picture of me?'

Dennis nodded, without any sign of bewilderment, and took the picture.

Harry saw the flash in his eyes, and for a moment, he tried to persuade himself that was the flash of the first picture Colin had ever taken of him.

But it wasn't.

Dennis handed him the picture and he looked at it, noticing that he had a relaxed smile that he hadn't had for months.

_The picture of victory, the picture of peace, the picture of happiness and joy._

_Thank you Colin for this last picture _he muttered, looking at the sun, which was slowly hiding behind the mountains but that was more shining than ever.

* * *

_An autumn hilltop in the sunset hue,_

_Pine boughs uptossed against the crystal west_

_And, girled with the twilight dim and blue,_

_A valley peace-possessed;_

_A high-sprung heaven stained with colors rare,_

_A sheen of moonrise on the sea afar,_

_And, bright and soft as any glimmering star,_

_Eyes holy as a prayer._

_Lucy Maud Montgomery_

**A/N What do you think about it? Please, let me know by reviewing!**


	17. Nymphadora Tonks

**Dedicated to Jess.91, because I stole her idea of how Remus and Dora fell in love from her story 'Ten Little Things'**

Remus shifted uncomfortably in the bed and turned his head to look at Dora

Her hair was lying around her head, shaping a big pink cloud, her chest was slowly moving with her rhythmic breath. 

'Dora...' Remus whispered softly.

No answer came.

'Dora...' he said again.

'Mm...' she muttered.

'Can we talk?' he asked. 

She groaned.

'Dora?' he asked again.

'Sleeping' she muttered.

'I know. I'm sorry. It's just that... I have to tell you one thing...'

'Can't you wait until tomorrow morning?' she groaned.

'No. Not really. I'm sorry' he whispered.

'Well, talk then' she said, without opening her eyes.

'It's just that... I wanted to make sure you had thought carefully about the wedding...'

'Oh my God' Dora groaned, switching the light up 'We've talked about this one hundred times. I...'

'No... because I was thinking that... I was the one who proposed... and maybe it was a bit selfish from me...'

'Why?' she asked, her eyes widened.

'Because... I'm old...

'Jeeze, you're only 37'

'Yes... but I'm more than ten years older than you... and maybe I put you in a rush. You're just 23, you have a whole life in front of you... maybe...'

Dora didn't answer and stared him.

'Maybe for you it's just a crush' he said with a gentle smile 'Maybe it's just an infatuation. I know you say you love me, but you can't be that sure. You might change idea in one year, and to find a man you don't love in your bed'

Dora still didn't answer.

'You deserve someone young and helthy and handsome. Someone to have fun with, not someone to marry. Charlie Weasley fancies you, have you noticed that? He is your age and he is... well... cool, as you said once.

You... you deserve someone you really love. You deserve a big wedding and not a rushed one. You deserve your prince with the shining armour, the one you've been waiting for all your life. You...'

'You are a prat!' Dora shouted, sitting on the bed.

'What?'

'I've waited to see how many idiot things you were going to say. Stop talking. Stop being noble and behaving like you were 110. Stop telling me how _I _feel, how _I_'m going to feel, what _I _want, because honestly I think I'm the only person who can do that!'

'I'm sorry. I...'

'Stop apologising! This is everything I want. This is everything I've wanted for all my life. I saw you in the Mirror of Erised' she said with a softer voice.

'Me?' Remus asked startled.

Dora smiled.

'Well, no, not really you. I saw a person who would see me, really see me. Who would see beyond my clumsiness, beyond my rebelness, beyond me being Metamorphogus. Someone who would help me see the real me, beyond all this'

Remus looked at her.

'Do you remember that night? The night Sirius died?'

Remus nodded.

'That was the night when I recognised you. When I realised that you were the one I had been waiting all along. Because while I was talking to you it was like all the stupid things were floating on surface and my inner self was talking to you. My soul was talking to you. And you were doing the same thing'

She looked at him.

'I want to marry you, and not because we've no time as we're in war or because you put me in a rush. I would have done the same in every possible circumstance. Because, Remus Lupin, I love your soul, no matter how old you are or if you are a werewolf

And I know, I just know, that it's the same for you. Stop feeling guilty for what happened to your friends. Harry's parents and Sirius died, but this doesn't mean that you can't have a happy life because they're dead'

She caressed his cheek softly.

'Don't be scared to be happy. We're going to be alright. Because we love each other. Because when I was thirteen I saw your shape in that Mirror and I swore to myself that I would have found you, wherever you were, whoever you were'

Remus pulled her closer and hugged her tightly.

'Sorry for what I said. It's just that... I love you so much... that I just want you to be happy... even without me...' he said into her ear.

'I know, stupid git. But I'd never be happy without you' she whispered laughing. 

'Never go. Never leave me. Too many people have left me in my life' he said looking at her, his eyes glistened with tears.

'Well... I don't know... are you really sure that Charlie fancies me? Because, you know, he is so damn cool...' she laughed.

Remus laughed back and tickled her, aware that if they had met the Mirror of Erised in that very moment they would have seen themselves just as they were.

The luckiest people of the world.

* * *

_And can you feel the love tonight?_

_It is where we are_

_It's enough for this wide-eyed wanderer_

_That we got this far_

_And can you feel the love tonight_

_How it's laid to rest?_

_It's enough to make kings and vagabonds_

_Believe the very best_

_Elton John_

* * *

**A/N Well, this is a kind of sequel to Remus chapter... **

**Anyway, what did you think about this chapter? Please, review!**

**PS And for the ones who celebrate it (and I'm not even among them!), happy Easter! **


	18. Percy Weasley

* * *

**Dedicated to Phoenix Tears of Life, who gave me the idea of writing Percy**

'Dad' Molly called.

Percy rose his head and saw his beautiful twelve-year-old daughter standing in the doorway looking at him.

'What are you doing in here? Everybody is outside' she said stepping into the room.

'I know... I just needed some peace' Percy said.

It was Teddy Lupin's birthday and, just like every year, they were celebrating it at the Burrow all together. And, like every Wealey gathering, Percy had gone inside the house, in his old bedroom, sit at the chair where he used to study during summer holidays, looking for a rest from all those shriecks and chats.

'Dad?' Molly said, seeing that her father was totally immersed in his own thoughts.

'Sorry Molly. I'm coming in a minute'

'No... I just... wanted to ask you one thing' she said blushing a bit.

'Tell me then' Percy said.

'Whydidyoucomeback?' she said quickly.

'What?' Percy asked.

'I said... why... why you came back'

'From where?' he asked puzzled.

'I... I overheard Uncle Ron and Uncle Harry talking about the time you left your family...'

Percy sighed. He knew that this time would have come and he damned himself for not having talked with his daughter about that before.

'Molly' he said putting his hands in hers 'I was very young and... stupid... and...'

'No dad' Molly said 'I don't want to know why you did that. Everybody makes mistakes once in a while... it was just a huge mistake. I am not blaming you for that'

'What do you want to know then?' Percy asked baffled.

'Why you came back. How you understood you had made a mistake... Because, you know' the girl continued 'I make tons of mistakes. But the problem is not in the mistake itself, because making mistakes is phiso... phis... what's that word you said yesterday?'

'Physiological' Percy said smiling.

'Yes, physiological... so, that's not the problem. The problem is realising I've made a mistake. And after I have realised, the problem is admitting it.'

Percy sighed.

'Well... as you said... this is the problem in making mistakes... that you don't realise you've made a mistake. Or you realise you have made it too late. And a big problem is even admitting it, because sometimes you're too stubborn or too proud to do that'

'And how did you realise, dad?'

'Well... I think I started realising it the day after I left this place. You know, I left because I wanted to be important, I wanted to follow the rules. I was stupid'

Molly looked at him, without saying anything.

'I loved being taken into account, I loved when the Minister talked with me and remembered my name. But I hated when I went back home and there weren't my parents or any of my siblings. I hated to see my father at the Ministry and not to talk to him. I hated all that. Every day, I slowly realised that it was more important what I had left behind than what I had in that moment. But I was too stubborn to admit it, even to myself'

'And then?' Molly asked.

'And then, one day, during the last year of the Second War, the year when your Uncle Harry managed to defeat You-Kn... Voldemort, I mean... the Minister sent me to Hogwarts, to talk to the Headmaster, Snape... After I did that I visited the castle, you know, to remember the good old memories. I entered into a room, randomly, and there it was the Mirror of Erised. Do you know what it is?'

'Yes, I read a book in the Library about it. It's the Mirror that shows you your inner wish, isn't it?'

'You're right' Percy said smiling. 'Well, anyway, I looked inside it, expecting to see myself as the Minister or the Headmaster of Hogwarts or something like that...'

'And what did you see?' Molly asked.

'I saw my family. My father, my mother, my siblings. Just them, waving, smiling, telling me to join them. That's how I finally realised. That's how I finally found the courage to admit that I had made a huge mistake.

So, to answer to your question, when you make a mistake – even though you're way too smart to make such a stupid mistake as mine – the way to realise it and to admit it is to look deep inside yourself. I was so stupid that I needed the Mirror of Erised for that'

'Dad...' Molly said.

'What?'

'I don't think you were a stupid at all. Everybody makes mistakes. Sometimes making mistakes is even useful, I think. Your mistake made you value more the things you had'

Percy looked at her, smiling.

'Sometimes I wonder if you're twelve or ninety...' he said.

But Molly didn't hear him, and continued her speech.

'And the important thing, dad, is that everybody makes mistakes... but not everybody is able to realise it or to admit it. I think it takes all one's courage to come back. And it takes all one's courage to try to fix it, even if it's painful'

Percy beamed.

'Let's join the others' he said heading towards the door and Molly followed him smiling.

They went outside and Molly immediately ran towards her cousins.

Percy looked at his family, at his parents, at his wife, at his daughters, at his siblings, at his nephews and nieces.

And like every time he saw them, he thanked Merlin for having come back.

And, thinking about what his daughter had said, for the first time he thanked himself for having been brave enough to come back.

* * *

_God sent us here to make mistakes_

_To miss the path, to go astray,_

_To wander blindly in the night_

_But searching, praying for the light, _

_Until at last we find the way._

_And looking back along the past,_

_We know we needed all the strain_

_Of fear and doubt and strife and pain_

_To make us value peace, at last._

_Ella Wheeler Wilcox_

**A/N I look forward to knowing what you think about it... PLEASE, REVIEW!!**


	19. Lily Evans

_1__st__ May_

_Dear Lily, _

_I'm trying to picture you in this moment._

_I bet you're sitting on your bed, in your nightgown, exchanging weird looks with the other girls in the dorm, wearing a puzzled expression on your face, wondering why I'd write you a letter as I've wished you goodnight half an hour ago, and you're looking at the big black dog that has brought you the letter, wondering where he comes from (by the way, give him your reply and give him some biscuits as well, otherwise he won't move... I know it sounds weird, but just do it)._

_Anyway, I'm writing this letter because I have one big question to ask you, and, you know, when I see you my mind goes blank and I'm not able to talk._

_Why are you my girlfriend? Yes, I know, this might sound pathetic, but it's my question._

_Why are you my girlfriend? For blood's sake, you're perfect! You're beautiful, incredibly smart, cheerful, funny, with a great sense of humor, a great kisser, a good friend. The teachers love you, your friends love you, everybody loves you._

_Yesterday, I was thinking of all this, and I realised that I could list so many reasons why I'm so happy of being your boyfriend._

_But what are the reasons you might list? Why should you like being my girlfriend?_

_Oh, I've just read what I've written again and it's such a pathetic whining. I hope you'll understand what I meant, even because I'm not really sure that I myself have understood what I meant._

_Love,_

_James_

_

* * *

__Dear James,_

_First off, I am not perfect. Really, I'm not joking, I'm not perfect at all. I'm way far from perfection. I mean, I snore! _

_Secondly, I have lots of reasons why I like being your girlfriend._

_For istance, I might say that I like being your girlfriend because you're incredibly handsome (stop rubbing your hair! I just know that right now you're rubbing your hair and you're smirking)._

_Or I might say that a little part of me has always wished I were a fifth Marauder, or something like that. _

_I could even say that I admire your sense of loyalty towards your friends, I love how you're always there for them, no matter what. I love that you stay up all night if Sirius hasn't finished his homework yet, I love the way you're supportive towards Remus, how you help Peter when he needs you._

_I might say that before seeing you I couldn't believe that anyone could be that good in Transfigurations and that I am your girlfriend because I want you to give me private lessons._

_I could say that I like being the girlfriend of the probably most popular boy in all Hogwarts and I just love the way how everytime you goal during Quidditch matches you look towards me and you smile (and all the girls cast me envious glances... ahahah...)_

_I might even say that I like being your girlfriend because when you kiss me I feel like... oh, well, I really can't find words to describe how I feel (do-not-smirk!)._

_I could even say that after I have read your letter, I thought that I were so lucky of being the girlfriend of such an incredibly sweet and sensible guy (wow, if last year someone would have told me that I would have said that James Potter was 'sweet' I wound have immediately sent him to the Hospital Wing)_

_But the truth is, James, that all these reasons are rubbish. Well, taken one by one, they're all true, but none of them is the reason why I am your girlfriend._

_I am your girlfriend, James, because I love you. I love you, I love you, I love you._

_I know I want to spend all my life with you, and even though I'm just seventeen I'm not scared to say this. _

_I know I want all this because one day I casually stumbled upon the Mirror of Erised and I saw you. Of all things I wish in my life – love, children, family, friends, peace in our world – the biggest of all turned out to be you. _

_Maybe because you include all my wishes. Maybe because when I see you I see family, I see friends, I see peace, I see love... I see everything I want, everything I've always wanted and everything I'll ever want in my life._

_You're my wish, James. How could I not like being your girlfriend? How could I not love you?_

_Yours forever,_

_Lily_

_PS I hope you'll get this, as I am not that sure that this dog really knows where you are, but, well, I'll believe you... by the way, have you ever noticed that it incredibly looks like Sirius? Really, they're identical! Well, I must be crazy if I'm comparing a dog to a person. Maybe I'm studying too much for the NEWTs._

* * *

Five minutes later

'Did you hear that?' Marlene asked hearing a scream in the distance.

'What?' Lily asked.

'Lily, I love you too! Lily!'

'Oh Merlin, this is James!' Lily shrieked, running towards the door of the dorm.

She opened the door and she saw her boyfriend, sitting on the floor, with a painful expression on his face.

'James!' she screamed from the top of the stairs.

'Lily!' he said aloud 'I tried to go to your dorm but the stairs disappeared when I touched them, and I love you too, and I love you even because you snore, and thanks for the letter, and I love you so much, and I saw you once in the Mirror of Erised as well, and I love you, and in the Mirror there was a child, and I want to marry you, not now, it's not a proposal, one day, but not too late, maybe in one or two years, and I love you...'

Lily laughed, ran off the stairs and flung into his arms.

'I love you' James whispered in her ear.

'Really?' Lily asked and their laughs echoed for all night in the deserted Common Room.

* * *

_Then seek not, sweet, the 'if' and 'why'_

_I love you now until I die._

_For I must love because I live_

_And life in me is what you give._

_Christopher Brennan_

**A/N Well, this is just pure fluff... Anyway, I hope you'll like this chapter and, please, REVIEW. It breaks my heart (well, now I'm exaggerating... I'm disappointed would be better) when I see that the number of hits is terribly bigger than the number of reviews. So, please, review. It's the only way I have to understand you appreciate my story. Thanks.**


	20. Bill Weasley

'Bill...' Ginny said standing on the doorstep of the Bill and Fleur's bedroom

'Hi Ginny' Bill said, without turning his head to look at her.

'Bill... can I... help? Do anything for you?' she asked.

'No' he simply replied.

'Fleur has told me that you haven't eaten anything for almost two days. You must be hungry'

'I am not'

'Bill... please...' she said.

'Sorry Ginny. I am not really in the mood to talk' he said sternly.

'Bill...'

'Go away!' he shouted.

Ginny looked at him in bewilderment.

'Okay, I'll...'

'Sorry Ginny' he sighed, finally turning his head to look at her 'Sorry. It's not your fault. It's nobody's fault'

She didn't say anything and just looked at him in silence.

'Come here' Bill said.

Ginny sat next to him on the bed.

'Are you sure you don't want to talk?' she asked.

Bill shook his head.

They stood quiet for some moments.

'I'll miss him' Ginny said.

Bill didn't answer.

'I'll miss his laughs, how he joked about everything, even war. I'll miss the way he looked at me, the way he bit his lower lip when mum was angry with him, how he rubbed his chin when he was focusing on something. I'll miss...'

'It's my fault' Bill suddendly said.

'What?' Ginny asked.

'For all my life, for all my whole stupid life' he said 'I've always felt responsible about you all. I remember when Charlie was born and dad put him in my arms and said that I was his big brother and that I had to protect him.

And that's what I've tried to do. I've tried to be your model, someone to look up to'

Ginny looked at him.

'Still now' he continued 'everytime I do something I wonder what you would think of me. How you would react. If I would disappoint you '

'Bill...'

'I love you all, Ginny. So much. And I've always thought that the most important goal that I had to achieve in my life was to help you. To protect you. To be there for you, to provide you anything you needed. That was my biggest wish'

'Really?'

'When I was at school' he continued like if he hadn't heard her 'once I encountered the Mirror of Erised. And do you know what I saw?'

Ginny shook her head.

'You. You. Safe, happy, cheerful because I was protecting you, because I was there with you'

'Bill...'

'And I failed. I failed'

'Bill, you...'

'Fred died two nights ago, Ginny. He died!' he scremed.

Ginny bowed her head.

'I didn't protect him enought. I should have followed him. I should haven't let him fight' he said crying.

'Bill...' Ginny tried to say.

'Everything is lost now' he said with a gloomy voice 'Nothing is going to be the same again. Our family is shattered forever. Because I didn't protect you enough'

'Bill...'

'I should have been the one who died! That's the only thing I have been able to think of in these days. I have the picture in my mind. Fred is going to that damn corridor and I'm saying: _stay here, I'll go. _And I would have been the one who died. That's how things should have gone. That's how... that's how...' he buried his head in his hands.

'Bill...' Ginny said softly 'We still need you. We still need your protection. We need it now more than ever'

He rose his head.

'You were and you are the best big brother of this world. You loved us. You encouraged us. You always told us that we could achieve everything we wanted, no matter how poor we were. You gave us confidence in ourselves

But you could have done nothing to stop us from fighting because for all our life you've tried to make us understand that there values that are more important than life itself. Values is worth dying for'

'...'

'There are plenty of people who in their whole life never understand it' she said looking at him in his eyes 'There are plenty and plenty of people who would never give their life for a value or for an ideal. But we were all ready to do that. Because you had taught us that'

'I didn't love you enough. I focused on the war, on the others, not on you' he said sighing.

'Bill, sometimes love means letting go' she said smiling 'It was so brave of you, showing us our path and then let us walk on our own feet'

They stood quiet for some moments.

'A couple of months ago I talked to Fred' Ginny said 'I mean, a serious talk. He understood I was terribly scared that something bad might happen to Harry, Ron and Hermione and we had a talk'

'...'

'I asked him where he thought other people found the strength for fighting, because I was losing mine. I asked him where he found the strength. Do you know what he answered?'

Bill shook his head.

'He said that everytime he was scared, everytime he was tired, everytime he wanted to quit, he thought of your scars. Of your braveness, of your words'

'Really?' Bill asked.

Ginny nodded.

'Yes, Bill. You are and always have been our hero. I wanted to marry you when I was four, for Merlin's sake' she said laughing.

'...'

'Please, be strong. Be strong for us, as you have always been. Be our hero once again' she said, her voice broken.

'Okay' Bill said breathing in 'Okay' he repeated getting up 'Okay' he said again getting out of the room.

Ginny followed him remembering what all her brother used to say when they were scared or concerned about something.

_Bill will help us _they always said, even when he was at Hogwarts, even when he was in Egypt, because they knew, they just knew, that if they had called him he would have immediately come.

She reached Bill and said:

'You will help us'

'I hope so' Bill said sighing, but, Ginny happily noticed, with a small smile on his lips.

* * *

_Sometimes being a brother is even better than being a superhero_

_Marc Brown_

**A/N You would never guess how difficult this was to write... I've rewritten it five times! So, I'd be really glad to know what you thought of it. Thanks!**


	21. Cedric Diggory

**To MudbloodandProud, who suggested this**

Cedric had always had the impression that there were times, in his life, when everybody kept asking him the very same question.

For example, when he was six everybody asked him whetever or not he had started losing his baby teeth or not.

When he was eleven everybody asked him if he was eager to start Hogwarts.

When he was fourteen everybody asked him if it was true that he had won against Harry Potter in a Quidditch Match (well, this was mostly due to his father).

He had no idea why it happened like that, but he had got used to it. That's why when after he had become the Champion of Hogwarts in the Triwizard Tournament he didn't get surprised or bothered that everybody asked him the very same question.

_I'm one hundred per cent sure that right now what you wish the most is winning, don't you? _his father wrote him.

_Is winning what you want the most? _his best friend Brian asked him once during classes.

_I'm sure the thing you wish the most is winning... _Ernie Mcmillan pomposly said.

_Wow, if I were you I'd want so hard to win... _Hannah Abbot told him blushing.

_What do you wish the most? Victory or a kiss? _Cho asked smirking, her head dangerously close to his.

_No _Cedric always replied.

_No, dad, it's not _he wrote..

_No Brian _he said thoughtfully _of course I want to win, but there are things more important than this._

_Erm... well... not really _he said, while mouthing to Brian: _who the hell is he?_

_Oh, well, no, but thanks for your support anyway _he said looking at Hanna's _Potter stinks _badge.

_Definitely a kiss _he murmured, pulling Cho closer and kissing her deeply.

* * *

But the truth was the he was lying.

He wanted to win. Unlike other people, he hadn't put his name in the Globest just out of curiousity or because of a bet.

He wanted to be chosen. He wanted to win. He wanted it more than anything else.

He had seen it in the Mirror of Erised. He had seen himself taking the Cup and showing it to the public, while all Hogwarts erupted in screams of joy and happiness.

He wanted to be the Champion. He wanted to bring glory to the House of Hufflepuff. He wanted all that so bad.

But he didn't want to admit it to the others. He just pretended he didn't really care, a bit out of scaramancy, a bit out of shame, as he reckoned that definetely there were things more important than that Cup, a bit out of shyness.

And that secret burnt in his heart. How many times had he wished to tell someone the truth, to admit how much he craved to be the winner.

But he never did and kept ignoring that wish that plagued his heart.

* * *

But it was stronger than ever in that maze, the victory so close, the Cup in front of his eyes, Harry Potter on the ground some steps behind him.

_Run, run! _his heart was shouting so loud.

_I... _

_Run, run!_

He looked at the shining Cup and he stepped further. But he could feel on his back Harry's glare.

_I can't._

_What?_

_I can't. _

_What?_

_It wouldn't be a real victory. _

_Why?_

_He is on the ground, he fell... he... _

_Who cares?_

_I can't do that. It wouldn't be fair. I am a Hufflepuff, I am a wizard, I am a man. I could never do that. _

_But it's the thing you wish the most!_

_That's the reason why I can't accomplish it in that way._

'Shall we grab the Cup together?' he said, his voice clear and strong.

He smiled seeing the bewilderment in Harry's eyes, as he helped him getting up and started running with him towards the Cup.

'Guess what? This was the thing I wished the most' he was almost telling Harry while grabbing hard one of the handles.

But the words died on his lips when he saw the graveyard, and then a green light heading fastly towards him.

* * *

'My Lord...'

'Yes, Wormtail?'

'It was strange... that boy... in the graveyard... while he fell... he was smiling...'

* * *

_There is another sky_

_Ever serene and fair,_

_And there is another sunshine_

_Though it be darkness there._

_Emily Dickinson_

**A/N First off, I wanted to thank all my loyal readers and reviewers. Thanks so much for your support and ideas.**

**What did you think about this chapter?**


	22. Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger

**Dedicated to Misha, who suggested Hermione**

2nd May 1998

'Neville, have you seen Ron?' Hermione screamed, trying to overcome the noise of the Battle.

'No!' he screamed back, cursing an Expulso towards some Death Eaters on the stairs.

'Hermione, I've seen him going there' McGonagall screamed, pointing to her right.

In other circumstances Hermione would have been flattered to be called by her first name by her favourite teacher, but not in that moment.

Dead bodies could be seen anywhere, there were people blooding and crying, and, most of all, she couldn't find Ron.

'Ron! Ron!' she screamed, desperately looking around, too scared to think of what might have happened.

_If he had died _she told hemself _I would have known. I would have just felt it._

She suddendly found herself in a small corridor, and, at the end of it, a wooden door.

Without knowing why she was doing that, she put her hand on the doorknob, and opened the door.

The first thing she noticed was the light, a silver light that hurt her eyes, after all those months of darkness and weak light.

The second thing was that man in the middle of the room. Even though he had his shoulders turned, she would have recognised that read head anywhere.

'Ron...' she said, sighing in relief 'I was so worried, I couldn't find you and...'

'Sssh' he said, hushing her.

Only in that moment she realised that in the middle of the room, just in front of Ron, there was a big mirror.

'What is that?' she asked puzzled.

'Please, don't tell me that you've never read about it' Ron said, and there was no hint of joke in his voice.

'The Mirror of Erised?' Hermione finally realised, looking startled at the Mirror.

'Yes' he said.

'And are you... are you seeing... what you wish the most?' she asked.

Ron nodded, still looking at the Mirror.

'What... what is it?' she asked slowly, stepping further.

'Look' he murmured, stretching out his hand towards her.

'I won't see what you see, Ron. Everybody sees something different' she said.

He shook his head and took her hand.

'Look' he repeated.

Hermione looked into the Mirror.

'We're... all together... and there's the sun... the roses are blooming, we're laughing and we're... we're...'

'Happy' Ron simply stated.

'Yes... and... there's no fear, no grief... there's...'

'Peace' Ron said, finishing off her sentence.

'Yes...' she said, looking enchanted at the Mirror.

They stood there for a while, his hand in hers, staring at the Mirror.

'We have to join the others' Hermione whispered after some minutes.

Ron didn't answer, his eyes focused on the Mirror.

'Ron... that vision... that world...' she paused and looked straight in his eyes 'Let's go out and fight for it'

'You're right' he said.

Hermione smiled and they headed towards the door.

* * *

2nd May 2007

'Neville, have you seen Ron?' Hermione asked.

'Well, I've talked to him some time ago, but I haven't seen him ever since' Neville replied.

'Maybe he is somewhere in the Castle. You know, on this day, it's always nice to go around and remember the good old memories' Hannah said, smiling at the little bundle that Hermione had in his arms.

'Yes, you're probably right' Hermione told her 'Last time I saw him he gave me Rosie and now I don't know where he is, and the ceremony is about to start'

'I think I've seen him going there' Ginny said, pointing to her right.

'Oh, I'll go look for him then. Thanks Ginny' she said, heading towards the place Ginny had showed her.

She found herself in a small corridor and she noticed a wooden door at the end of it.

_Oh Merlin _she said, suddendly recognising that place.

Pulling Rose closer to her chest, she put her hand on the doorknob and opened the door.

'Hi' she said smiling.

'Hi' Ron replied, without turning his head, his eyes focused on the mirror.

Hermione stepped further.

'Look inside' Ron said.

'What do you see?' she cautiously asked, placing Rose in his arms.

'Look inside' he repeated.

Hermione looked inside the Mirror.

'Us' she said after a bit 'I see us'

'Us' Ron repeated.

'Just like we are' she added.

'We got our wish. We fought for it and in the end we got it' Ron murmured placing Rose in one arm and putting the other one on Hermione's shoulders.

'It's their gift' Hermione whispered 'The gift of all those people who died nine years ago'

They stood quiet for some minutes.

'Ron... I know it's stupid... but... why don't we say thank you to them?' Hermione suddendly said.

'I don't think it's stupid at all' Ron said.

They looked at each other for a moment.

'Thank you' Hermione said, her voice trembling a bit.

'Thank you' Ron repeated, his voice broken, but smiling a bit, noticing that Rose had opened her eyes.

And there they stood, looking at themselves in that Mirror, remembering the words that Harry had inscribed on the remembering plaque.

_They died so we could have a happier world to live in._

Thank you. Thank you.

* * *

_Peace is not an absence of war, it is a virtue, a state of mind, a disposition for benevolence, confidence, justice. _

_Baruch Spinoza_

**A/N I hope you like this. At first this was meant to be Ron's chapter but in the end I just couldn't decide if it was more Ron's or Hermione's, so I decided to do one chapter for them both. Reviews will be highly appreciated, as always.**


	23. Victoire Weasley

Victoire opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling

It was the night before her wedding and she just couldn't sleep. She shifted uncomfortably in her bed and finally decided to go downstairs to drink some water.

When she arrived in the kitchen, she noticed that someone else was already there.

'Dom. What are you doing here?' she asked, looking at her sister, who was sitting at the kitchen table.

'I couldn't sleep' Dominique said 'What about you?'

'I couldn't sleep either' Victoire said, sitting in front of her.

They stood quiet for some moments.

'Are you nervous about tomorrow?' Dominique suddendly asked, looking at her.

'No, not really. I'm just nervous about the ceremony. But not about what will come next' Victoire replied smirking.

'How can you be that sure?' Dominique said.

'About what?' Victoire asked puzzled.

'I mean, I know it's Teddy and we've known him for ages, and he would never harm you in any way, but... how can you be sure that he is the one? The one you want to share your life with? How can you be sure that you'll never love anyone else like you love him? How...'

'Hey, hey, hold on the Hippogriffs' Victoire said laughing.

'How do you know, Victoire?' Dominique said, looking straight into her sister's eyes 'How did you realise that it wasn't just a friendship, it wasn't a crush, but it was love? How do you know that you'll love him forever?'

'Well...' Victoire said 'I realised that I loved, I really loved Teddy one day, when I was sixteen...'

* * *

'_Victoire!' a boy called._

_She turned her head and saw one of Teddy's best friends._

'_Hello Jeremy' she said._

'_Have you seen Teddy?' he said._

'_No, why?' she asked, noticing some anxiety on the boy's face._

'_I... I can't find him... and...' _

'_What has happened?' she asked worried._

'_Thickbell... werewolves... Teddy's father... cried...' he stammered._

'_Oh Merlin, I haven't understood anything at all. Please, speak clear' she said._

'_It's that... we had DADA lesson today. And Professor Thickbell suddendly started talking about werewolves... he said that they are very dangerous and that their contact with society should be limited...'_

'_What a git' Victoire murmured._

'_And Teddy was shaking, his hair became red, and then he stood up and told the professor that werewolves are people just like the others and Thickbell said that all werewolves are evil...'_

'_Git'_

'_And then Teddy started crying and he left the room, and I've been looking for him but I can't find him anywhere, and he was so shocked, do you know where he might be?'_

_Jeremy looked at Victoire, and realised that the girl was shaking and that she was pale._

'_I'll go look for him' she said, trying to restrain her anger._

_She turned right, opening each door on her way. Suddendly, she found a door half closed. She opened it and saw a big mirror._

'_The Mirror of Erised' she suddendly realised._

_She stepped further and looked inside. Inside. Inside._

* * *

'And you saw Teddy, didn't you?'

'Well, I didn't just see Teddy' Victoire replied beaming 'I saw him happy. What I wished the most was that Teddy was happy'

'But... how did this make you realise that you loved him? I mean, I wish Teddy to be happy as well, but I definitely don't love him the way you do' Dominique said, looking at her.

'You don't understand' Victoire said smiling, a dreamy look in her eyes 'It's not that among all the other things, I wish Teddy to be happy. It's that among all the other things that I might wish for myself, the thing that I wish the most concerns him'

'But...'

'It's the thing I wish the most! I'd steal for it' she chuckled 'I'd kill for it if necessary' and she added with a very serious tone 'And I'd die for it. I'd die if that would make him happy'

'Wow...' Dominique said, looking at her older sister in admiration.

'It's love, Dominique. To be ready to do anything for the other. To be ready to climb up the Everest, to go down to the bottom of the sea, to suffer and to cry. This is love'

They paused a bit.

'And what did you do then?' Dominique said 'I mean, did you find Teddy?'

Victoire laughed.

'I found Teddy, I dragged him to the Great Hall where everybody was having dinner, I jumped on the Gryffindor Table...'

'No way...' Domnique whispered.

'I did! Ask Teddy if you want'

'And then?'

'I scremed againt Thickbell at the top of my lungs, McGonagall almost expelled me but when I told her what Thickbell had done she thanked me and she kicked him off. Then I wrote a letter to Uncle Harry to explain him the situation so he could talk to Teddy and I asked Aunt Hermione to give me some books about werwolves. Then I asked Professor McGonagall if I could give a lecture in the Great Hall about famous werewolves in the wizarding history. I talked about Teddy's dad as well'

'Wow...' Dominique said, with dreamy eyes.

'What?' Victoire asked amused.

'I can't believe you did all this for him...'

'Oh, Dom, can't you understand? I love him. And in love it's not about _you_ or _me_ and _what you like_ or _what I like_, but it's us. If he's upset I'm upset. If he's happy I'm happy'

Dominique looked at her sister and smiled, finally realising what Victoire was trying to tell her.

'Vic' she said slowly, choosing the words carefully 'I'm not a seer or anything like that, but... I'm sure you and Teddy will be one of the happiest couples inthe world'

'Thank you Dom. Thank you' Victoire said, tears of happiness in her eyes, a big smile on her lips, a path of love and joy in her future.

* * *

_I would fight for you – I'd lie for you_

_Walk the wire for you – yes I'd die for you_

_You know it's true_

_Everything I do – I do it for you_

_Bryian Adams_

**A/N I hope you liked this. If anyone is interested, I've recounted what happened during Teddy and Victoire's wedding in another story of mine, 'The Wedding'. **

**I hope you'll review!**


	24. Minerva McGonagall

**To Cede, who really wanted me to write this**

Minerva knocked at the Headmaster's door

'Come in, Minerva' a voice said from the inside.

'Albus' she said opening the door and looking at the old man who was sitting at his desk 'You know I hate when you do like that'

'Yes, sorry. I just can't help it' Dumbledore said apologetically 'If you want next time I'll pretend I don't know who it is' he added with a serious voice.

'Never mind' Minerva said, still close to the door.

Dumbledore looked at her.

'Is there a particular reason why you are here?'

'It's that... I have to talk you. And I didn't want to do that in front of the other teachers' she said, with a strange expression on her face.

'I see...' Dumbledore said looking at her with interest 'Please, take a seat'

'Thanks' Minerva said sitting and shifting uncomfortably on her chair.

'What's the problem then?' Dumbledore asked.

'It's... well... Harry Potter' Minerva said with a small voice.

'What has he done?' Dumbledore asked beaming.

'No, he hasn't done anything. It's just... it has been almost three weeks that every night he leaves his Dorm and he goes to the room where there's the Mirror of Erised. And he stays up, all night, looking into it. Once he took Mr Weasley with him, but after that he has always gone alone'

'Mmm...' Dumbledore said rocking a bit on his chair 'He sees his parents, doesn't he?'

'Yes he does' Minerva said sharply but biting her lower lip.

'May I ask you what you were doing out of your bed in the heart of the night?' Dumbledore asked looking into her eyes.

'I was checking that no student was out of bed, of course' Minerva said quickly.

'But that it's up to Filch. Not to you'

Minerva didn't answer and avoided Dumbledore's penetrant glance.

'Minerva...' Dumbledore said.

'Yes, fine. I had just finished looking into the Mirror myself'

Dumbledore looked at her, no surprise in his eyes.

'You aren't going to ask me what I see in the Mirror, are you?' Minerva asked suspiciously.

'I would never do that' Dumbledore said with a kind smile.

'But you're waiting for me to tell you' she added sighing.

Dumbledore didn't say anything and the two looked at each other.

'I see the same thing Harry does' she finally said with a small voice.

'Lily and James?' Dumbledore asked surprised.

'Yes... I know it's strange...' she said sighing again.

'Why?' Dumbledore asked, a sad look in his eyes.

'Because I've always liked them so much' she simply answered, refusing to say more.

'Minerva...'

'I have so many memories that just won't leave me alone...' she sighed.

* * *

_It was the first lesson of Transifiguration that year and Minerva like always had asked her first-year students to try to transfigurate a match into a needle. She looked at them, wondering who would have been the first to do that._

'_I did it, I did it!' two voices suddendly shrieked at the same time._

'_Who spoke?' Minerva asked confused._

'_Me!' two voices answered and she saw a boy and a girl who were in the two corners in the room, who proudly held in their hand a needle. _

'_Well done Mr... and Miss...'_

'_Potter' the boy quickly said with a big smile._

'_Evans' the girl added more slowly blushing a bit. _

* * *

'They were always bickering, weren't they?' Dumbledore asked smiling.

'Yes... but they were loyal to each other, in their own way' Minerva said.

* * *

'_Miss Evans, could you explain us why you're so late?' Minerva asked coldly, looking at the third-year girl, who blushed._

'_I'm sorry, Professor, I didn't want to...'_

'_You're more than thirty minutes late. You'll do detention this evening'_

'_But...' the girl tried to say._

'_Professor, it's my fault' a boy suddendly said getting up._

'_Potter?' both Minerva and Lily said._

'_It was me who tricked her books so she couldn't find them. It's my fault she's late. I'm the one who deserves detention, not her'_

'_Fine. You'll have detention this evening then'_

'_No, no' Lily said 'It's not his fault... I did find my books... I just... well... forgot there was class. Yes I forgot'_

_McGonagall looked at the two students._

'_I don't know who is guilty' she said very slowly 'but anyway, I'll give you both detention. So, we'll be sure that the guilty one will get punished. And...' she added seeing Potter opening his month 'I won't change my mind' _

* * *

'James became obssed with her when he was about fifteen' Dumbledore said laughing.

'He wasn't obsessed. He fell in love'

* * *

_Minerva shook her head looking at Potter's essay. She took her quill and wrote with a smile:_

_I'd strongly suggest you to stop thinking about Miss Evans, at least while you're doing your homework, in order to avoid writing her name instead of yours on the top of your essay. _

* * *

'When did she finally agree to go on a date with him?' Dumbledore asked thoughtfully.

'During their seventh year'

* * *

_Minerva was sitting at her desk and was proudly looking at her seventh-year class who was performing Non-Verbal spell._

_Suddendly she saw James Potter jumping on his chair._

'_Have you just said yes?' he screamed, looking at the pretty read-haired girl who was sitting beside him._

_The girl nodded blushing a bit._

'_Padfoot, Moony, Wormatail, she has said yes! After all those years, she has said yes. Yes!'_

'_Potter' she said trying to restrain a smile 'Where do you think you are?'_

'_In Heaven, professor' the boy said, a big beam on his lips._

* * *

'I remember their wedding...' Dumbledore said.

'So do I...'

* * *

_Minerva was sitting at the Professor Table having breakfast when suddendly her owl perched next to her._

_She took the little envelope that it had, wondering what it was. _

_She smiled seeing that it was an invitation to Lily and James' wedding and she smiled even more when she saw a little note added by James in a corner._

'_Professor, you must come! You have seen us meeting for the first time, bickering, falling in love, being happy together. You just can't miss this'_

* * *

Minerva bowed her head.

'They were so happy, so in love, so joyful, so pure. Why did they die? I thought they couldn't die, that they were too good for Death, for You-Know-Who, for...' she hiccupped.

'Minerva...' Dumbledore said.

'Yes?' she said looking at him, a lonely tear on her cheeck.

'They're not gone. They're still here, in a sort of way'

Minerva didn't answer.

'I know that you don't agree now... but you will. You will understand. You will see them. I promise you'

Minerva looked at him, not understanding.

She had no idea that she would have remembered those very same words six years later.

She had no idea that looking at Harry fighting against Voldemort in the Great Hall, she would have understood, at last, what Dumbledore meant.

She had no idea that she would have realised at lasy that James and Lily had never left, because there was James while Harry was carefully choosing his words against Voldemort, there was Lily while he was talking about love, there was something of the Quidditch champion James Potter when Harry grabbed Voldermort's wand and there was something of the shy Lily Evans when he looked at all the people in the Hall and blinked in the light.

She had no idea that she would have gone next to him and she would have said:

'James and Lily would have been... are so proud of you'

And Harry hugged her and for a moment she felt like it was James and Lily's wedding again and she was hugging them and wishing them good luck for everything.

* * *

_So live that your memories will be part of your happiness – Charles Baudelaire_

**A/N Wow, this is so long, but I enjoyed so much writing this... I hope you've enjoyed reading it as well and that you****'ll be so kind to leave me a review. Thanks!!**

**PS In this there are a lot of references to a chapter of another story I wrote 'Mothers'. If you liked this, I think you might like that as well: it's chapter 11 of 'Mothers'.**


	25. Scorpius Malfoy

Albus looked at the Great Hall and felt a sense of emptiness and wistfullness.

It was empty, as he had never seen it in those seven years. Everybody was in their Dorm, packing up their luggage, as the Hogwarts Express was to leave in a couple of hours.

But he had already packed everything up and was roaming through the Castle.

Suddendly he noticed that there was someone else.

'Hi' he said sitting next to Scorpius Malfoy.

'Hi' Scorpius answered.

'What are you doing?' Albus asked.

'Thinking' Scorpius answered with a small smile.

'About what?' Albus asked.

'Well...' Scorpius said with a smirk 'I'm complimenting myself for having survived to these seven years of school'

'Oh Merlin' Albus laughed '_Survive_? Don't you think you're exaggerating a bit?'

'No, not really' Scorpius calmly replied 'You know, it hasn't been easy to eat every morning looking at a Placque where are inscribed the names of people that I know my family has contributed to kill'

Albus didn't answer.

'It hasn't been easy to fall in love with a girl whose family have fought against my family.

It hasn't been easy to see all those people looking at me with hatred, because some of their relatives have been killed by my grandfather or by my great-aunt'

'Scorpius, I...'

'It hasn't been easy' he continued, and he was more speaking to himself than to Albus 'to know that there were loads of people in Hogwarts who simply refused to speak to me because of my family. It hasn't been easy to see the look of despise on the teacher's faces, who hesitated a bit more to give me the best mark, to tell me that my answer was correct. It hasn't been easy.

It hasn't been easy the first day of Herbology to be paired off with Louise Creevey who immediately asked Professor Longbottom to change pair.

It hasn't been easy when at the first time I attended with the other students the Ceremony that commemorates the fallen against Voldemort everybody was staring at me, wondering why I had been allowed to join them'

'I...'

'You can't undestand. Rose can't understand either, even though Merlin knows how hard she tries. Nobody can't understand how hard it is to be judged not for the person that you are, but for what your family has done. You don't know how horrible it is at twelve to encounter the Mirror of Erised and know that your best wish is to have a different family, to disown your father and your grandparents. You don't know...'

'I know' Albus calmly said, interrupting him 'In a sort of way, I know. It's the same for me. People don't see me as Albus, but they see me as The-Boy-Who-Lived's son. Do you think it's funny when you realise that all those people around you just want to know something about your father? Do you think it's funny when old people recognise you in Diagon Alley and bow in front of you, thanking you for something that happened even before you were born? Even before your parents were married?'

'It's that... our parents did so much, your father in the positive way, my father in the negative one, and we're expected to act like them, to do the things they did. To be them, in a sort way' Scorpius sighed.

'Yes, but...' Albus said smiling 'this happened during the first months, the first years of school. Than everything has changed. Because the marks I took were taken by Albus Potter, the stupid things I did were done by Albus Potter, the good thins I did were done by Albus Potter. Not by Harry Potter's son

'Yes... Rose fell in love with Scorpius Malfoy, Professor Longbottom's favourite student is Scorpius Malfoy, you're talking now to Scorpius Malfoy. Not to Draco Malfoy's son' Scorpius said smiling.

'Yes...'

'Yes...'

They stood quiet for some moments.

'You know what?' Scorpius said.

'What?'

'Even if when I was twelve I wished I was born in another family, I admire my father. I admire him because at some point he changed idea. I admire him because in the street sometimes people walk away, but he keeps walking. I admire him because before I went to Hogwarts, he told me everything he had done and while he was talking he was crying. Crying! The only time I've seen my father's crying'

'...'

'And no matter how many mistakes he has done, I'm glad to be Draco Malfoy's son'

'...'

'And I'm glad to be Scorpius Malfoy'

Albus smiled.

'Why don't we toast to this?' he said, taking two bottles of Butterbeer from his bag.

'Because I'm glad to be myself?' Scorpius said laughing, taking one of the bottles.

'To our parents' Albus said with a smile 'because they have managed to find their way, no matter how much painful it has been. To us, because we're looking for our way'

They smiled and they drank, without knowing that Professor Longbottom was looking, smiling as he saw them toasting next to the Placque, as he was sure that those people whose names were inscribed would have been so happy to see peace and harmony reigning between a Potter and a Malfoy, between the son of the man who had defeated Voldemort and the son of a man who had been a Death Eater, between a Gryffindor and a Slytherin, between past and future.

* * *

_The past is our definition. We may strive, with good reason, to escape it or to escape what is bad in it, but we will escape it only by adding something better to it._

_Wendell Berry_

**A/N What did you think? Please, REVIEW!!**


	26. Andromeda Tonks

_Dear Nymphadora,_

_Sorry, I know you hate this name._

_How can I start then? I feel stupid calling you Tonks... I'm your mother, after all. Which mother calls her children by their surname? Ted and Remus always called you Dora... well, I'll call you Dora then. _

_Dear Dora,_

_You're dead and dead people can't read letters. Well, I'm not sure. I don't know really what dead people do. Before you died I always imagined them still, like statues, in the eternity._

_But when you died, I thought that I just couldn't picture you still. Therefore, I'm sure you run, laugh and fly. I'm sure you do._

_Dear Dora,_

_I keep telling everybody that I'm fine. You know, everybody is so daunted in these days, and I don't want people to worry about me. I try to have something to do all the time. I voluntereed to help at St. Mungo's, I go visit Molly Weasley (is her son next to you, Dora?) and I take care of Teddy._

_I don't want people to be concerned about me. I don't want people to pity me. I want to act as everything was fine, as I hadn't been ripped of my husband, my daughter and the man my daughter loved (strange, but I hadn't got used to call him 'my son-in-law' that he died)._

_Dear Dora,_

_I keep telling myself that I must be strong for Teddy. So I change his nappies, I talk to him and I try to make him laugh, I sing him lullabies and I feed him._

_People come see me and ask me how I feel. Even though he has been so busy in these days, Harry Potter has come a lot of times. He actually was the one who told me what had happened at the Battle. He was very kind. I tell him that I'm fine, that Teddy is fine, that everything is fine._

_But everything is not so fine, Dora. It's just not fine._

_It's not fine that I went to Hogwarts to take your bodies. Last time I had been there it had been for your graduation. I remember your smile, as you tripped over your own feet when you reached Dumbledore to take your degree, as you told me that you wanted to be an Auror, and I told you that it was way too dangerous, and you told me that you didn't care._

_It's not fine that I roamed through that Castle, trying to find a sense to what had happened, trying to realise that you had really left me that I encountered the Mirror of Erised. Do you really need me to tell you what I saw?_

_You and Remus. Yes, even Remus. And, please, if he is close to you, tell him that I didn't really mean all the bad things that I told him when you two got married and when he left you. Tell him that I admire his braveness and strength. I'm so glad that you married him._

_But everything is so not fine._

_It's not fine that Teddy keeps looking around, like he's actually looking for you and Remus. But he can't find you. And he cries._

_It's not fine that I'm supposed to pack up all the things that there are in your and Remus' house. I don't know from where to start. I looked at the two toothbrushers in the bathroom and I cried. I saw all the mess that you had left in the kitchen and I cried. I saw Remus' shirt on the couch and I cried. There was a note on the floor. It was your handwriting 'I'm at the grocery. Coming back soon'. I cried while I was reading. I entered into your room and I saw on the bed table a picture of your wedding day. I took it and I cried. _

_Everything is so not fine._

_I mean, you were young. You were in love. You had just become a mother. You were beautiful, and cheerful and funny. You had a big heart and you always wore it on your sleeve. _

_And I'm so sorry for all the times we fought and we bickered, because it was such a waste of time. We could have done something different. Talk. Have fun. I don't know, just something different._

_And I'm so sorry that I told you off so many times, disapproving your Metamorphogus Abilities, your language, your clumsiness, your job, your husband._

_I'm so sorry for all those things I have never told. For not telling you that I was so proud of you. Because you were brave, and you didn't care of what the others thought. Because you fought for what you believed in, because you fought for love, because you loved, Dora, you loved without asking anything back. Because you were full of enthusiasm and ideas, because you used your Metamorphogus Abilities to make people smile, even in those horrible times. I was so proud of you, Dora._

_And I am so sorry I have never told you. It's just that, you know, my mother has never really loved me. She always preferred Bella and Narcissa, because they behaved as they were supposed to. I didn't. I don't remember her rocking me, I don't remember her telling me she loved me._

_So, it hasn't been easy to be a mother as I had never really had one._

_But you were going to be such an amazing mum, Dora. You were perfect. And Remus was a perfect father. _

_But you have left me and Teddy. _

_And you have left me in my clean, tidy, gloomy house. Everything is at his place. Ted's socks aren't on the couch, your clothes aren't scattered all over your room. No one laughs, sings, talks aloud. But this will change, Dora. This will change._

_I promise. Teddy will live in a cheerful house. The Weasleys are already becoming his second family, you know, and then, after all, he has Harry Potter as godfather! He will have love, caresses, joy._

_He won't have you or Remus, though. He will miss you for all his life. I will miss you for all my life. _

_But we will try to move on. We will try to be happy. _

_Because I want to see your smile on his face._

_Love,_

_Mum_

* * *

Andromeda rose her head and she looked at Teddy, who looked back at her.

'We're going to be ok, Teddy. You're going to be ok. I promise' she said, chocking back her tears.

The little boy looked at her again and for a moment, for a very small moment, Andromeda thought she had seen both Dora and Remus' faces on his little face.

'We haven't really lost them after all, have we?' she muttered.

And it almost seemed that Teddy had nodded with a smile.

* * *

_And death shall have no dominion (...) _

_When their bones are picked clean and the clean bones gone_

_They shall have stars at elbow and foot_

_Though they go mad they shall be sane,_

_Though they sink through the sea they shall rise again;_

_Though lovers be lost love shall not;_

_And death shall have no dominion._

_Dylan Thomas_

**A/N Thanks to all the reviewers, especially the new ones. I hope you've liked this chapter as well, which I can only know if you... review!!**


	27. Horace Slughorn

__

The time has come for Slytherin House to decide upon its loyalities.

Those words danced in Slughorn's mind and they were the only thing he could think of.

He was thinking of that while quickly heading towards the dungeons, waking up the Slytherins, telling them what was going on.

He was thinking of that while looking at their delightment and the grins on the oldest ones' faces.

He was thinking of that while looking at the youngest ones, who looked torn about what to feel.

'Is there going to be a battle?' a twelve-year-old boy asked, and fear and excitation were tainted in his eyes.

'But... which side are we on?' a tiny first-year asked and Slughorn looked at her, uncertain on what to answer.

'All... all of you have to come with me... you'll come back home...' he said, and he still had those words in his mind. For a moment he wondered if he had to mention that the ones who were of age could stay and fight, but he decided not to.

'Can we take our stuff?' a girl asked.

'No, there's no time' he said absent-mindendly, looking around.

The silver and green colours could be seen anywhere.

_The time has come for Slytherin House to decide upon its loyalities._

'Professor?' a boy said.

'Oh... yes... well... are you ready?' he asked.

Everybody nodded.

'Okay... let's go then' he said, quickly heading towards the door.

All the Slytherins followed him, the youngest ones closer to him, the oldest ones looking at the Battle and walking slowly.

'Professor! Where are you going?' a voice suddendly shouted.

Slughorn looked up to see who had talked.

'Lupin!' he said, recognising the man who had once been his student 'I am... we... my students and I... are... leaving'

Remus glared at him and Slughorn saw his look of despisal.

'It's way too dangerous here' Remus said 'Find another way'

'Okay' Slughorn answered, looking around, uncertain on what to do.

'Wait for me here' he told the Prefects 'I will go look for a way to get out of here'

He moved forward, trying to peer through the mist and touching the walls with his hands. Suddendly he felt a doorknob and, thinking he would have been definetely safer inside a room, he opened it. And there it was, in its amazing glory. The Mirror of Erised.

Slughorn immediately recognised it, and he looked at it, uncertain on what to do. His curiosity made him step further to look inside, but then those words echoed in his mind again.

_The time has come for Slytherin House to decide upon its loyalities._

And he smiled. He smiled because he understood. He didn't need to look inside that Mirror to find out what he wanted.

He got out of the room and he ran towards his Slytherins.

'I've understood!' he yelled as soon as he got in front of them.

The students looked at him puzzled and Slughorn noticed that they were only a dozen.

'Where are the others?' he asked.

'The not of age have been taken away by Professor Sprout' a tall boy explained 'And some of age... have... well... and we're here'

The students looked at the old teacher, and he looked back at them.

He looked at their faces, on which he saw reflected the lights of the battle. He looked at them. They were sixteen, seventeen. The girls had tears in their eyes and clinged to each other. The boys looked uncertain and looked around nervously.

'Which side are you on?' Slughorn said slowly 'Which side do you want to fight with? Do you want to fight with You-Kn... Voldemort?' he felt a shiver running down his own spine, but he didn't care 'Who do you want to be?'

'It's not time to decide' a girl said sternly.

'No, you're wrong. This is the time. It doesn't matter that you're Slytherins, it doesn't matter that you've been raised by Voldemort supporters, it doesn't matter what you're expected to do, what your parents expect you to do, what Slytherins are expected to do. It doesn't matter if you've spent a good deal of your life desguised as an armchair, because you were so damn scared to fight'

'An armchair?' a girl asked puzzled.

'It doesn't matter' he continued 'what Salazar Slytherin in person would have wanted you to do'

He smiled and for a moment he felt like he was seventeen again, and brave and fearless.

'Because you're the Slytherins now. Not your parents, not your grandparents, not V-Voldemort., not the Death Eaters. They are the past. You're the present. You _are_ the House of Slytherin.

You must decide. We can't keep running away, we can't keep being ambiguous. This is no time to run away, this is time to choose' he paused 'Look at them!' he said, pointing to the battle.

'They are running, they are crying, they're bleeding. Look at them! They are desperate, they're scared to death just like us. Look at them and tell me if there isn't a gleam of pride in their eyes, if there isn't a small smile on their lips. Because they know they're doing the right thing' he paused 'People will die tonight for what they believe in and they would do that again and again because they know that there are values is worth dying for' he said slowly, emphasising each word.

'And what about you? What do you believe in? Light or dark? Do you want to fight for the good or to run away for the evil? Do you want to be trapped by Voldemort's chains of fear? What do you want to fight for? What do you want to die for? What does matter more to you, your innocence, your school, this castle, or that man who wants to destroy all of that? What does the noble house of Slytherin want?'

He looked at them, tears in his eyes, his nostrils flaring, a smile on his lips.

'The time has come for the Slytherin House to decide upon its loyalities' he slowly said.

* * *

'Horace! What are you doing in here? I thought you had left the Castle' McGonagall screamed, looking thunderstruck at the old Potions Professor, who was quickly heading towards her, followed by some of his Slytherins.

'The Slytherin House has decided upon its loyalities' he said with a proud smile.

* * *

_Well, I know what's right, I got just one life_

_In a world that keeps on pushing me around_

_I won't back down_

_Tom Petty_

**A/N I've written this listening to Tom Petty's songs (mainly Don't Come Around here No More... by the way, if you read this listening to that song the story sounds better... it worked for me) and I really had to quote him here, even though I'm not so sure his words actually fit...**

**Anyway, we're almost getting to the end of the story, as I plan to write only two more chapters. If you have a character whom you think I should write about I'll think about it.**

**Please, review. Reviews make my day even more than Tom Petty's songs :) **


	28. Fleur Delacour

**Dedicated to SOphia.weasley, because without her suggestion I would have never written this **

'Mum, look!'

'What?'

'He's opening his eyes...'

'No he is not'

'Ron, look carefully'

'No, George is right'

'Bill...'

'Ginny, let me see'

'Someone call Madam Pomfrey'

'Yes, so she will kick us out'

'Shut up you all, and look at him'

Bill Weasley slowly opened his eyes and looked around. At first everything was hazy. He focused and he started recognising all the faces who were eagerly looking at him.

'Mum... Dad...'

'Bill!' Molly said, nodding enthusiastically.

'Ron... George... Fred... Ginny'

They all smiled.

'Where is... where is Fleur?' Bill slowly asked.

'Bill...' Fleur said getting closer to his bed with a wide beam.

'What's happening here?' a voice suddendly asked.

'Madam Pomfrey' Arthur said with a warm smile 'Bill has opened his eyes'

'I see. And he must be incredibly tired. So, I'm sorry, but just one of you can stay'

'I will...' Molly started saying, but then she saw how Fleur and Bill were looking at each other.

'Let's go' he said to the others, and Fleur smiled at her.

The two of them stayed alone.

'Fleur... what has happened?' Bill asked slowly, while she sat on the chair beside the bed.

'Well...' she said with a small smile 'you've been sleeping for a day and a half...'

'Really?'

'Yes'

He looked at her and saw the small tiredness wrinkles at the corners of her eyes.

'What has happened, Fleur?'

'Your Headteacher... Dumbledore... is dead' she sighed.

'What?' Bill said, quickly rising his head.

'That professor... the Potions one... Karkaroff's friend... killed him'

'Snape?' Bill asked, his eyes widened.

Fleur nodded.

'Merlin... what now?' Bill muttered, in a broken voice.

'I don't know' Fleur said, and Bill noticed that she had tears in her eyes.

'Fleur... but... what has happened to me? Why am I in the Hospital Wing? What...?' he said, nervously looking around.

Fleur sighed.

'You have been... bitten... by Greyback, but...'

'What? Am I...?' he cutted her off, fear in his eyes.

'No, no, you're not' she quickly said 'You are not... a werewolf. Lupin said you are not'

Bill looked at her, and he noticed the way she was gazing at him, at his face.

'Fleur... give me that mirror' he said, pointing to a mirror on another bedtable.

'I don't think it is...'

'Fleur...' he said again, and it was painfully obvious to Fleur that he was aching 'please'

Fleur handed him the mirror and Bill looked at his own reflection.

'My face... These... these...' he said with a broken voice.

'Madam Pomfrey says... they'll never go away' Fleur sighed.

'Never?' Bill asked, his hand on his cheek.

Fleur shook her head and the two stood quiet.

'What do you want to do now?' Bill finally asked, looking at her.

'About what?' she asked puzzled.

'About this' he said, pointing to his face 'Do you still... erm... want to... the wedding thing, you know?'

'Are you joking?' she asked, her eyes widened.

He shook his head.

'I am... I am... and you're more beautiful than ever. And you can't... I can't...'

'Bill' she said, forcing him to look into her eyes 'Has this changed you? Has this changed you as a person? Are you the Bill I used to know?'

'I...'

'No, you are not. Because if you think that just because your face is different I'm going to dump you... well, you aren't the Bill I used to know'

'It's just that... I am...'

'I've fallen in love with you, not with your face, Bill' she said with a gentle smile 'And I already love those scars'

'Do you?' Bill asked.

'Listen. Yesterday night after I got out of here I was going to the Great Hall, but I got lost. By the way, why don't you have signs or anything like that? I bet people get lost all the time' she looked at him, hoping to see a smile on his face, but he was more serious than ever.

'Anyway' she continued 'in the end I found myself in a room where there was a big mirror in it'

'The Mirror of...'

'Yes, the Mirror of Erised... I looked inside. And do you know what I saw?'

Bill closed his eyes, like he was scared to know the answer.

'Victor Krum'

'Whaaaaat?' Bill said, immediately opening his eyes and looking at her aghast.

'It was a joke' she laughed.

'Oh Merlin, you've spent too much time with Fred and George' Bill said, and Fleur beamed, seeing that she had managed to make him smile.

'Seriously now,' she said with a wide beam 'I saw you Bill. I saw you'

'You saw this face?' Bill said looking at her thunderstruck.

'Yes. Your face. Bill's face. The man I love face'

They looked at each other for a time that seemed ages.

'Sorry I doubted' Bill finally murmured.

'Don't worry. I would have done the same' she said.

They stood quiet for some moments.

'When I saw you...' Fleur said 'lying on the floor... I was so scared... that you had... that you had...' she wiped a tear away.

'But I didn't' he said with a smile holding her hands 'And, Fleur, I promise you. I'm here to stay'

'I'm glad to hear that' she said, beaming through her tears.

They stood there, holding hands and smiling to each other, unaware that they were observed by Molly and Madam Pomfrey.

'Is she your son's fiancée?' Madam Pomfrey.

Molly nodded.

'Bill is very lucky' the old witch said with a smile.

'He is indeed' Molly said, a big smile on her lips, tears in her eyes, tears of happiness as she realised looking at Bill and Fleur that even though Dumbledore was dead, even though Voldemort was trying to establish his reign again, even though difficult times would have come, as long as they didn't lose love, innocence, joy, nothing would have been really lost.

* * *

_We shall be notes in that great Symphony_

_Whose cadence circles through the rhythmic spheres,_

_And all the live World's throbbing heart shall be_

_One with our heart, the stealthy creeping years_

_Have lost their terrors now, we shall not die_

_The Universe itself shall be our immortality._

_Oscar Wilde_

**A/N I hope you've liked this. Please, review!**


	29. Ginny Weasley

1992

Ginny Weasley sat down on the floor and bowed her head. She had spent only one week at Hogwarts and she already wanted to come back home. She just couldn't believe it. For all her life, she had wished to be in that Castle and now that she was there, she craved to be at the Burrow with her parents. Everybody had always told her that Hogwarts was wonderful, fantastic, but, Ginny sadly thought, they were all lies. Classes were difficult and she had dozens and dozens of homework assignments, her brothers didn't care that much about her and it was difficult to make friends.Moreover, everybody expected her to be just like her brothers, if not better: intelligent like Bill and Percy, a Quidditch Champion like Charlie, a prankster like Fred and George.

But what hurt her the most was that Harry Potter never looked at her and behaved like she didn't exist.

_My life is a failure, _Ginny thought trying to choke back her hears and nervously looking around, making sure that nobody would enter in that lonesome corridor. Suddendly she noticed a small door close to her. She got up and, without even thinking why she was doing that, she opened it.

She found herself in a large squared room with a big mirror in the centre.

_What is that? _she wondered stepping further, and then she suddendly remembered what Ron had told her about how Harry had managed to defeat You-Know-Who the previous year.

_The Mirror of Erised! _She thought, holding her breath..

She stepped further and looked inside.

And there it was, Harry Potter, smiling at her and waving.

Ginny felt tears swimming in her eyes.

Oh Merlin, I'm so pathetic. For him I am just his best mate's little sister, while he is my most important wish. I am so stupid, stupid, stupid...

She put her forehead on the cold glass and cried like she had never done in her whole life.

* * *

1997

Ginny Weasley sat down on the floor and bowed her head. She tried not to think about all the terrible things that had been happening in those months, but she just couldn't help it. Every single day they were getting news of people murdered by Death Eaters and of massive break-outs from Azkaban. Students were leaving the school everyday. She tried to organise the DA but except for a few people everybody was way too scared to join it that year. Neville and Seamus had already been tortured by the Carrows and Ginny knew that she was next.

And, what was worse, she had no idea where Harry was. She felt a sudden lump in her throat and she felt guilty as she didn't feel the same for Ron and Hermione. She was worried, of course, for all the three of them, she woke up all nights from nightmares where she saw them dead, but for Harry it was just different.

Suddendly, she noticed a small door at the end of the corridor.

_But this... _she thought looking around _It must be... _

She quickly got up, headed towards the room and opened it. And there it was, the Mirror of Erised. She looked at it, unable to step further.

What was she going to see? There were so many wishes in her soul, so many people she wanted to be safe and protected, so many hopes and dreams that rested in her heart.

_I've faced the Death Eaters. I am not going to be scared by a stupid Mirror. What would Harry think if he knew that? _she said to herself and she looked inside.

At first there was just her own reflection. She looked at it, amused, remembering the last time she had seen herself in that Mirror. She had changed so much. She was taller, her hair was longer. But there was something different, beyond physical appearance. She looked again and she beamed.

She wasn't a scared eleven-year-old anymore. She looked self-confident, brave, fearless.

_But I am scared _Ginny thought _I've never been so much scared in my life._

Confused, she looked at the Mirror again and she smiled as her image went hazy and a familiar figure appeared.

_Harry... _she thought, tears in her eyes.

She got closer to the Mirror and put her forehead on the cold glass, smiling at the sense of dejà vu. Harry beamed and did the same, so that their foreheads would have touched if there hadn't been the Mirror between them.

_Now I understand..._ Ginny thought smiling _it's not that I am not scared. I am so damn scared. But I love you. And I know you love me back. And this is what gives me hope, confidence, courage._

She looked at the Mirror again and she wished Harry was there with her.

_I know that you had to go to fight for all of us she sighed but please, please, come bak. Please, don't get harmed. Please, please, don't get killed. I am waiting for you. I have been waiting for you for all my life. Don't leave me. Come back. Please._

Ginny looked at the Mirror one more time and a small smile of hope appeared on her lips.

* * *

_300 miles away_

Harry Potter was sitting in a tent, looking at the Marauder's Map, staring at a little dot which was labelled with the name 'Ginny Weasley'.

_Why is she alone in that room? What is she doing?_ he wondered, a bit worried.

Then looked at it again, feeling a lump in his throat.

_Ginny... wait for me, please. I promise I'll come back. I know you've waited for me for so long and that I've made you suffer, but I need you, Ginny. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be able to do what... well... what I'm trying to do._

_I wish so much I were there with you right now, but I can't. You know I can't. Please, wait for me. I promise I'll come back to you. I promise. Please._

Harry looked at the Map one more time and a small smile of hope appeared on his lips.

* * *

_One word frees us of all weight and pain of life: that word is love._

_Sophocles (400 b.C.)_

**A/N I hope you liked this... get ready for next chapter, the big finale: Harry.**


	30. Harry Potter

**To all the ones who have read, reviewed, favourited, put on the alert list list this story.**

**Without you all this would have never been possible.**

Harry knocked at the Headmaster's door.

'Come in' a voice said from the inside.

Harry opened the door and looked at Professor McGonagall.

'Harry! What a surprise!' she said quickly getting up and heading towards him, a smile on her lips.

'Good afternoon, Professor' Harry said, shaking her hand.

'Minerva. It's Minerva' she said.

'I just can't get used to it' Harry answered with a kind smile and Minerva beamed.

'Please, take a seat' she said.

They both seated themselves.

'So...' Minerva said 'what does bring you here?'

'Well...' Harry aswered 'I have been asked to...'

He was interrupted by a knock at the door.

'Come in' Minerva said.

A young woman poked her head in.

'Excuse me, Headmaster' she said, glancing at Harry 'but we need you in the Astronomy Tower, for those...'

'Yes, yes, I am coming' Minerva said, getting up from her chair 'Harry, do you mind?' she asked. with an apologetical smile.

'Oh, don't worry. I will wait here. I know the place' he answered grinning.

'I am sure you do. I will be coming back in a couple of minutes' she said, quickly heading towards the door and closing it behind her.

Harry looked at the wall.

'Good afternoon' he said smiling.

'Good afternoon, Harry. How are you?' Dumbledore asked from his portrait.

'Fine, thanks' he replied, glancing at Snape, who totally ignored him.

'What about Miss Weas... sorry, Mrs Potter?' Dumbledore asked with a kind smile.

'She is alright, thanks'

'Minerva has told me that you have just had a little girl, haven't you?'

'Yes, it is right. Lily' Harry said with a smile and pretended not seeing that Snape had closed his eyes, wearing a strange expression on his face.

'Have you noticed what there is there?' Dumbledore suddenly asked with a smirk.

'Where?' Harry asked, turned his head and saw that behind his shoulders there was the Mirror of Erised.

'Oh Merlin. I hadn't seen it' he said, looking startled at the Mirror.

'Why don't you look inside?' Dumbledore proposed.

'Look inside?' Harry slowly repeated, looking alternatively at Dumbledore and at the Mirror.

'Yes, look inside!' several voices from the other portraits shrieked.

'Won't you tell us that you are afraid of a Mirror?' Phineas Nigellus asked, with sarcarsm in his voice.

Harry didn't reply and looked at Dumbledore.

'Look inside, Harry' Dumbledore repeated with a smile.

Harry nodded, sighed and looked inside, feeling his heart pouding more quickly, remembering the faces of his parents, his mother's wet eyes, his father's wide beam, which he had seen in that Mirror almost twenty year earlier.

He stared at the Mirror but he saw nothing but his own reflection.

'It... it does not work...' he slowly said, turning his head and looking at Dumbledore.

'For Merlin's sake, Potter, you are so thick' Snape snorted.

'Oh, Severus, don't be so impolite' Dumbledore said.

'But... I don't understand...' Harry said, wearing a puzzled expression on his face.

'Harry...' Dumbledore said 'Remember what I told you when we met in front of this Mirror? How did I explain you what it was?'

'You said... you said...' Harry muttered, trying to remember 'You said... that the happiest man of the world would have been capable to use it as a normal mirror'

'Exactly, Harry. Exactly' Dumbledore said nodding, a proud smile on his lips, tears in his eyes.

'I...' Harry said, but he couldn't finish his sentence, as he heard a sudden noise.

He looked above and saw that all the former Headmasters were clapping.

Dylis Derwent was laughing and crying at the same time, Armando Dippet had his thumbs up, Everard had a wide beam on his lips, Dexter Fortescue was clapping and cheering, even Phineas Nigellus was smiling, even though he was pretending not to. They were moving from one portrait to another, whispering excited, waking up the ones who had been sleeping, 'He is happy! He is happy!'.

All those people, whose names he barely knew, were proudly looking at him, in their eyes the very same joy they had had when he had defeated Voldemort.

Harry looked at them, his eyes full of tears, and he saw his life flash in front of him, the lonesome cupboard where he had lived for ten years, his parents smiling from that Mirror, Cedric dying in front of him, Dumbledore falling from the Astronomy Tower, the lifeless bodies of Remus, Tonks and Fred. And he saw Ron and Hermione hugging him after Voldemort's fall, Ginny walking towards him on their wedding day, the first time that Andromeda had placed Teddy in his arms, Ron proudly holding the newborn Rose, his children's first smile. And suddenly he realised that all those events, sad and happy, were like parts of a big path that had lead him there, in that very same office, where he had cried, he had cheered, he had grown up and he had learnt do deal with joy and grief, with life and death.

'I have... I have finally got here...' he said, looking at all of them, tears in his eyes, a wide beam on his lips.

'Yes you have' Snape surprisingly answered and maybe, just maybe, he was smiling.

* * *

_And in the end the love you take is equal to the love you make – The Beatles_

**A/N Wow. It's over. I'm feeling really sad and a bit excited. This fic has been with me for four months... so many things have happened in my life in this period and each chapter of this story mirrors those events, in a sort of way.**

**Anyway, I hope you've liked it. I've really enjoyed writing it. And, please, REVIEW!! ****Oh, by the way, which is the chapter you liked the most? Just curious...**


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